- A schoolbus has been involved in a major road accident on the R513, near Caherconlish, Co Limerick at around 8.50am this morning.
- Around 46 students from John The Baptist Community School were on board.
- 36 people were removed from the scene and brought to University Hospital Limerick.
- All but four of those patients have been discharged.
Update 5.59pm: Four people remain in hospital after a crash between a schoolbus and a car in Co Limerick this morning.
The collision took place near the village of Caherconlish as a group of secondary students were on their way to school.
36 people were taken to University Hospital Limerick, 32 of whom have since been discharged.
Separate investigations by Gardaí and Bus Éireann are taking place into the cause of the crash.
Update 4.49pm: Students escaped with 'minor injuries' from Limerick schoolbus crash
The Principal of John The Baptist Community School has said that counselling will be available for students and teachers involved in a crash in Co Limerick.
The bus was taking 46 secondary students to school when it collided with a vehicle near the village of Caherconlish and ended up in a ditch.
However, there were no critical injuries among the students said Noreen Rafferty, Principal of John The Baptist Community School.
Earlier this morning our National Emergency Operations Centre deployed a number of Ambulances, Ambulance Officers and the Emergency Aeromedical Service #EAS to a serious Road Traffic Collision in #Limerick. A number of patients were treated at scene and transferred to hospital. pic.twitter.com/IPTeAkIMIv
— National Ambulance Service (@AmbulanceNAS) February 7, 2018
“(It was) all minor injuries. All parents are with their students. Some were carried by ambulance (to University Hospital Limerick) and parents carried the rest of their students in,” Rafferty told The Neil Prendeville Show on Cork’s RedFM.
“We were very lucky that a lot of our teachers come out from Limerick city so they were on the scene immediately.”
Another school bus came upon the scene and counselling will also be available to those students.
“Some of the Leaving Certs and third years were doing their pre-exams. They’re shocked but we’re about to get the counselling set-up in the school now.
“Another bus came on behind that bus so we had to look after those children as well. They were taken, very kindly, by the local primary school in Caherline and looked after by our teachers and the teachers there as well.”
Update 11.31am: Members of the public have been urged not to attend the Emergency Department University Hospital Limerick "unless absolutely necessary" following a road accident involving a schoolbus today.
According to a hospital statement, 20 people - 18 minors and two adults - are travelling to the hospital from the scene of the accident near Caherconlish.
Seven casualties were being transported by emergency ambulances and those with less severe injuries are being transported on intermediate care vehicles and a minibus.
Pic: Press 22
The resuscitation and paediatric areas of the Emergency Department were cleared in anticipation of casualties at 9.30am.
Casualties will be retriaged on arrival at the Emergency Department. Additional surgical teams and nursing staff, including paediatric and trauma nurses, have been assigned to the ED in anticipation of trauma-type injuries. Both the emergency theatre and trauma theatre are also on standby.
Update 11am: Around 46 students on board schoolbus involved in major Limerick road accident
Bus Éireann has said that there were approximately 46 students on board a schoolbus involved in a serious crash in Co Limerick today.
BREAKING NEWS - Emergency services are at scene of Limerick school bus collision involving 60 kids. Its understood 15 people have been injured and removed to hospital. pic.twitter.com/ecJN4IUi8s
— Neil Prendeville (@NeilRedFM) February 7, 2018
The accident involved a sub-contracted vehicle on one of the company’s school transport services. There have been no confirmed fatalities, according to Bus Éireann.
"Our investigation is ongoing and we cannot comment further at this time," the statement read.
"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."
The drivers of both vehicles have been taken to University Hospital in Limerick.
Pic: Press 22
Update 10.17am: 15 removed in ambulances after crash involving schoolbus in Co Limerick
Ambulances have removed 15 people with various levels of injuries from the scene of a road accident involving a schoolbus in Co Limerick this morning.
The majority of injured have been described as “walking wounded”.
The bus ended up on its side in a ditch on the R513 near the village of Caherconlish.
The driver of another vehicle involved is being cut from the wreckage by emergency service personnel.
A fleet of ambulances are at the scene, and an air ambulance helicopter is there on standby.
Students were evacuated to a nearby disused filling station forecourt and are being assessed there by paramedics.
The students were travelling in the bus to John The Baptist Community School, in Hospital, Co Limerick.
A source at the school said they are inundated with phone calls from concerned parents.
One vehicle at the scene has been described as "mangled".
Update 9.42am: A “multi-vehicle collision” involving a schoolbus in Co Limerick is being described by a reliable source as a “serious incident”, writes David Raleigh.
The source said there are about 40-50 people involved, including mostly teenagers.
Several people have been injured. The full extent of their injuries are unknown, although they are not believed, at this point, to be life-threatening.
A helicopter is en route to the scene at the R513 at Caherconlish and extra fire tenders are on route from county stations.
Traffic Alert Limerick - Diversions are currently in place on the R513 between Caherconlish & Herbertstown due to a collision. Gardaí & Emergency Services are at the scene.
— An Garda Síochána (@GardaTraffic) February 7, 2018
Earlier: Schoolbus involved in multi-vehicle collision in Limerick
Emergency services are at the scene of a “multi-vehicle collision” in Co Limerick involving a schoolbus and two other vehicles, writes David Raleigh.
The incident occurred in the townland of Caherconlish known as Connelly’s Cross.
Emergency services received a 999 call of a report of a schoolbus and two vehicles involved in a collision at 8.40am.
Four units attached to Limerick City and County Fire and Rescue Service are currently on at the scene.
It is unclear if there have been any serious injuries.
Limerick City and County Council tweeted that the “R513 between Herbertstown and Caherline is closed until further notice due to a multi-vehicle crash”.
“Local diversions are in place from Caherconlish to Ballyneety, and then rejoining the R513 at Herbertstown #Limerick @aaroadwatch,” it added.
