Northern Ireland: Double-decker school bus carrying over 60 students crashes

A school bus carrying more than 60 passengerscrashed in Carrowdore, near Newtownards, Northern Ireland on Monday (Oct 7). TheNorthern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) said it was dealing with a "major incident" as the rescue operation was underway.

According to local reports, the bus was transporting the kids from Strangford College to Newtownards around 3:45 pm local time when the accident took place.

A BBC report added thatover 50 had sustained minor injuries while eight were being treated for more significant injuries as the double-decker bus crashed.

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NIAS said five fire appliances and the specialist rescue team werecurrently at the scene. The children were reportedly pulled out through windows of the vehicle that had tipped over into a nearby field.

“It’s every parent's worst nightmare.A child’s journey to and from school always causes worry, and this is just horrendous," local councillor Robert Adair said.

"I am asking everyone to pray at the current time while emergency services deal with this clearly very serious situation," Adair added, informing that he had spoken to a number of parents and the police.

Peter Wray, an Ulster Unionist party councillor, said the incident did not involve any other vehicle.

“I think there was also some buses that were potentially behind, so some pupils will have seen this. As well as the people directly [affected], it could also cause some stress for other pupils or other people who have seen this incident and have been distressed by it," said Wray.

In a public message,NIAS urged the citizens to only call it in case of emergencies as the resources had been directed to the crash site.

"NIAS is currently dealing with a major incident at Carrowdore involving a bus with up to 70 passengers. NIAS has dispatched multiple resources to the scene. Please only call 999 if your situation is life-threatening while we deal with this incident," it said on Facebook.

Watch | Thailand Bus Fire: School Bus With 44 Students Catches Fire, 23 Dead

Thailand bus accident

Earlier this month, 20children and three teachers in Thailandlost their lives after a school bus they were travelling in for a field trip caught fire.

The school bus was carrying students from Uthai Thani province when a tyre burst on a highway in a northern Bangkok suburb, sending the vehicle crashing into a barrier.

Investigators found that the bus had five illegally fitted gas cylindersin front of the bus, which may have caused the fire.

Prime MinisterPaetongtarn Shinawatra expressed sorrow over the incident and said the government wouldtake care of the medical expenses and provide compensation to the families of the deceased.

(With inputs from agencies)