Schoolchildren escape serious injury in Co Limerick bus crash
DOZENS of children had a miraculous escape after their school bus collided with a car and ended up lying on its side in a ditch.
Last night four people remained in hospital following the crash in Co Limerick.
A total of 36 casualties — 34 schoolchildren, the bus driver and the driver of the car — were rushed to University Hospital Limerick (UHL) by a fleet of ambulances and parents’ cars.
A major emergency response swung into action after the crash on the R513 between Caherconlish and Herbertstown at around 8.30am yesterday.
The majority of those injured were treated for “musculoskeletal and soft tissue injuries” but some were treated for a “small number of fractures”, said the Health Service Executive (HSE).
“A total of 36 patients presented to the Emergency Department at UHL today in connection with the bus crash.
“Of these, four have now been admitted and the remainder have been discharged.”
The HSE added: “Children and their families were also offered counselling while in hospital, and follow-up psychiatric support is being arranged through their school.”
The national air ambulance helicopter was dispatched to the scene but was not needed to transfer casualties to hospital.
The 57-seater Bus Eireann sub-contracted vehicle was bringing 46 children, aged between 13 and 18 years, to John The Baptist School in Hospital, Co Limerick, at the time of the crash.
A number of teachers who were travelling to school arrived on the scene quickly and also assisted the children.
By the time emergency services arrived the pupils had all made their way off the bus.
Deputy principal of John The Vehicle recovery specialists at the scene where a school bus crashed in Caherconlish, Co Limerick, and an aerial view of the emergency personnel at the scene of the accident in Caherconlish
Baptist School, Ita Browne, said parents and teachers “were on the scene immediately, as were the emergency services”, and the “school’s critical incident team was immediately activated and continues to operate in response to the situation”.
Ms Browne confirmed that “psychologists from the National Educational Psychological Service are advising the school on offering counselling services for students affected by the incident”.
“Our first and primary concern
is the well-being of our students. We were very saddened to hear of the accident this morning (and) so we are happy that nobody was seriously injured,” she added.
Bus Eireann said it was assisting gardai in their enquiries into the circumstances of the collision.
It added: “We would like to express our gratitude to all the emergency services for their rapid response, and we will continue to liaise with the school and
parents of the injured students.”
Earlier, UHL set up an incident group in response to the collision and cleared a number of areas in the hospital in anticipation of casualties.
Additional surgical teams and nursing staff, including paediatric and trauma nurses, were also assigned to treat those who had been injured.
Hospital group chief executive Prof Colette Cowan praised all those involved in the emergency response for their heroic efforts.
She said: “This was a distressing incident for everyone involved and I would like to pay tribute to all the emergency services for their effective response in managing it.
“Our own staff at UHL showed exceptional dedication in managing the situation with many turning up to help without having been called in.”
A Bus Eireann spokeswoman said the bus was fitted with seat belts “as all those operating school transport services must”.