Hotel offers free board for bus crash victims' families

One of Dublin’s top hotels has offered free accommodation to the relatives of an English woman fighting for her life following a bus crash, after it emerged her bags were stolen from the scene of the accident.

The 60-year-old was one of two female holidaymakers who were hit at around 4.15pm last Thursday by a double-decker Dublin Bus on O’Connell Street.

The Gresham on O’Connell Street made the offer to the two women’s families, after gardaí revealed a holdall and a handbag containing money, bank card, a mobile phone and an Irish passport were taken from the scene.

Carroll’s Irish Gift Shop, which is situated around 20 yards from where the accident happened, has offered to replace the €1,000 lost when the woman’s bags were stolen, while nearby Cassidy’s Hotel has also made contact with their families.

Jagdish Mangat, 56, who was injured in the accident, said her friend had lost everything she had with her.

“Everything she had was gone and her bag,” she said.

“All I remember is that we came for a day trip on Thursday and we did our shopping and we were on our way back to catch a bus to the airport.

“We were side-by-side and we spotted the bus (for the airport) coming on the other side and we were going to cross the road, and there were people in front of us and we followed on and after that I don’t remember anything,” she said.

Ms Mangat broke down as she told RTÉ’s Liveline that her friend was fighting for her life and had not yet regained consciousness.

Ray O’Connell, managing director of Carroll’s Gift Shop, said staff at the store had been saddened to hear the women had been hurt.

“On top of that to lose your bags, we were very upset and saddened by it,” he said.

“We’d like to show it’s not all bad in Dublin, it’s a thriving city.

“This is a gesture on our behalf to show the good side of Dublin city,” he said.

Gardaí have appealed for witnesses to the accident, and for anyone who might have information about the bags, to contact Store Street Garda Station.

The bags are described as a light brown wicker shoulder bag, with a purse, a 2005 diary, keys, phone and passport in it, and a navy blue holdall with wheels and extendable handle containing groceries and ladies clothing.