Five dead, 46 injured in bus crash

Five teenage girls were killed today and forty-six people injured when a school bus overturned in an horrific crash.

The bus taking 51 youngsters home from secondary schools in in Navan, Co Meath was involved in a collision shortly after 4pm in Kentstown.

President Mary McAleese and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern have spoken of their shock, and passed on their sympathies to the families of the dead children.

Four of the dead pupils were from the Loretto Convent School, Navan, and the other from Beaufort College, Navan.

He said students from the Mercy Convent, Beaufort College and St Patrick’s Classical School were also on the bus.

“26 of those injured were brought to Our Lady Of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda and 20 were taken to Our Ladys Hospital Navan,” he added.

The schoolbus was thrown on to its side after an crash involving two other vehicles on the road between Navan and Duleek.

A spokeswoman for Bus Eireann, the coach operator, said an investigation was underway but it was too early to say what caused the accident.

The Health Service Executive said 14 emergency ambulances, including several units from the Dublin area, attended the scene.

Crews from the Northern Ireland ambulance service were also put on stand by to help with the rescue operation.

Father David O’Hanlon, a Catholic Curate in Kentstown, said distraught families had flocked to the crash scene in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy.

“People are very shocked – they have been saying very little,” he said. “Naturally it’s very hard to know what to say. It is an appalling scene really.

“There seemed to be 20 emergency vehicles from what I can see, a lot of distraught and shocked people standing around, helicopters and emergency services.”

He said many of the children were in hysterics as they waited for up to an hour to be freed from the wreckage.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern described the accident as appalling.

“It’s a huge tragedy, an enormous shock to the whole country,” he said.

“Obviously we send our sympathies and commiserate with the families of those who have been bereaved.”

President Mary McAleese interrupted a state visit to the US to speak of her distress at the “tragic loss of young life in this afternoon’s dreadful accident in Co Meath“.

“She sends her deepest sympathy to the families and friends of those who have been bereaved,” a spokesman said.

“Her thoughts and prayers are also with those who have been injured.”

Transport Minister Martin Cullen promised a thorough investigation of the accident.

“It is with great sadness that I learned of this evening’s tragic accident,” he said.

“Obviously, an accident of this nature must and will be investigated independently and fully.

“However, tonight our thoughts are with the children involved, their families and in particular those who have lost loved ones today.”

Minister Cullen has cancelled his attendance at the European Conference of Transport Ministers in Moscow and will be returning home immediately.

Education Minister Mary Hanafin promised the schools affected all the help she could provide.

“Her deepest sympathy goes to all those who have been bereaved and to the injured and to their families and friends,” her spokesman said.

“Minister Hanafin has arranged for the National Educational Psychological Service to provide support and counselling to the schools affected from tomorrow morning.”

Health Minister Mary Harney offered her deepest condolences and sympathy to the families of those who lost their lives and were injured in the incident.

She said her thoughts were also with the local community and insisted every medical facility and all appropriate care and counselling services required are being made available.

Fine Gael TD Damien English, who lives in Navan, said it was a horrific tragedy for the local community and he sympathised with the families.

Speaking from the scene Mr English added: “It’s unbelievable. Everybody is in shock. It’s a terrible waste of young life.”

Meath Fire Service spokesperson Mary Maguire said the road will remain closed for up to 36 hours.

Patsy McDonnell, who owns a guesthouse in the area, said he travels past the scene of the accident every day.

It’s not a particularly dangerous stretch of road, but there were road works there today.”

Resident Phyllis Roe said ambulances have been continuously whizzing past her home, about three miles from the accident scene.

“I had to take an different route home from Navan because of the traffic restrictions and ambulances were still passing the road.”