Update: Nine injured as crash leaves car 'pinned' between school bus and wall in Co. Limerick
Nine people, including six children, two adults, and a teenager, have been taken to hospital with serious injuries, following a collision between a school bus and a car, in Co Limerick.
The collision, which occurred at Ardvarna, Lisnagry, was reported to emergency services at 8.15am this morning.
The 28-seater bus, contracted by Bus Éireann from a private operator, and white Renault Laguna collided near a house, and on a bend in the road.
A spokeswoman for Bus Eireann confirmed all seats on the bus had seatbelts. “By law, all school transport buses must have safety belts,” they added.
One of the passengers on the bus managed to get out of the vehicle and run a mile to a house to raise the alarm, a reliable source said.
According to reliable sources, the car ended up “pinned” between the front of the bus and a wall of a house.
Shortly after 8am Sean Hassett heard a “loud bang” outside his house at Ardvarna, Lisnagry.
“I knew something had happened so I ran out and saw there was a crash between a car and a bus. Kids were screaming on the bus,” said Sean who along with a few more neighbors helped comfort those injured.
“We were trying to calm the children down, and thank God, I don’t think anyone is very seriously hurt.”
“ At that stage it was hard to tell who was injured and who wasn’t. My biggest worry was the kids and to see that the kids were OK.”
“We were just trying to calm them down a bit.”
“I was in a bit of shock myself to see this happening. You don’t expect that to happen outside your front door.”
“The bus passess this way every day. It picks the kids up down the road and brings them to school in Newport. I hope everyone recovers well,” added Sean.
Two people travelling in the car were cut from the wreckage by firefighters attached to Limerick City Fire and Rescue Service.
The driver and passenger of the car, along with the six schoolchildren and their bus driver, were all taken to hospital by a fleet of ambulances.
“Out of the six injured children, one has a (suspected) broken jaw; another has a (suspected) broken arm; and four have head lacerations,” said a reliable source.
The driver of the bus is believed to have sustained a chest injury.
According to a reliable source, there were between 10 and 12 people, including the driver, on the 28-seater bus.
“One of the schoolchildren who was on the bus ran about a mile to a house to raise the alarm,” they added.
A fleet of ambulances set up a “staging area” near the scene to allow firefighters to cut out the driver and passenger from the car and get passengers off the bus.
Some of the nine injured are said to have sustained, what was described by reliable sources as “serious, but not life-threatening injuries”.
Gardaí have closed the road and are awaiting the arrival of a Forensic Collision Inspector to conduct a technical examination of the scene.
Principal of St Mary’s Secondary School, Newport, Kevin Cusack, said the seven injured students were in “good spirits””, despite their ordeal.
“We met with students and parents and offered support and words of comfort. We immediately initiated our critical incident policy,” he said.
“We notified NEPS [National Educational Psychological Service] who are on standby to offer support to our students and to families concerned. Our staff are to be commended for the way they rallied to offer support this morning and are continuing that support and are obviously very concerned about the students involved,” he added.
“They are being extremely well cared for. They are in good spirits.”
“They stepped up to the mark and they offered support to their fellow students on the bus following the accident.”
“The older ones looked after the younger ones.”
Praising the bus driver, he added: “There were very, very good reports about the way he handled the situation immediately following the crash. The students were talking very highly of him.”
Mr Cusack also praised Limerick fire service, paramedics and Gardai for their professionalism in dealing with the incident.
He also expressed his best wishes to the passengers of the car, and added: “We wish them a speedy recovery.”
10.44am: School bus carrying seven pupils in collision with car in Co. Limerick
Nine people, including six schoolchildren, are reported to be in hospital after a collision between a school bus and car in Co. Limerick.
Virgin Media are reporting that the six schoolchildren and three adults have been taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries that include bone fractures.
The station's MidWest correspondent, Eric Clarke, said that five ambulances and three Limerick Fire units were at the scene.
#WATCH: Nine hospitalised following Limerick school bus collision https://t.co/132aDnmAKu
— Limerick Leader / Limerick Live (@Limerick_Leader) September 6, 2018
Bus Éireann have issued a statement saying the bus was carrying seven pupils to Newport Post Primary School.
They said they will carry out an internal investigation while another investigation is being carried out by gardaí.
9.49am: School bus and car collide in Co. Limerick
Emergency services are at the scene of a collision between a school bus and a car in Co Limerick.
The collision which occurred at Ardvarna, Lisnagry, was reported to emergency services at 8.15am this morning.
A spokeswoman for Munster Fire Control said five units attached to the Limerick City and County Fire and Rescue Service as well as one unit from Newport, Co Tipperary, were dispatched to the scene.
It is not known if there were any injuries.
It is being reported by the Limerick Leader that the incident happened near Ahane National School and the bus was taking students to Newport Secondary school.
Gardaí have closed the road and diversions are in place.
Three appliances from Limerick City fire service are at the scene, while two units, from Cappamore and Newport, have since been stood down.
