A bus carrying 70 people has crashed in County Down, Northern Ireland, leading to a major incident being declared. The incident occurred on the Ballyblack Road East near Carrowdore, prompting a response from police and ambulance services. Most of the passengers on board are reportedly pupils from Strangford College, as per the BBC’s information.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has classified the crash as a “serious road traffic collision”. Images circulating on social media display the overturned bus laying on its side in a field after veering off the road. The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service has confirmed their involvement in a major incident at Carrowdore, involving a bus with a large number of passengers.
A specialized rescue team has also arrived at the scene in response to the bus crash. The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service disclosed that they currently have five fire appliances and a specialist rescue team on-site at the Ballyblack Road East in Newtownards, where the incident occurred. The road in the vicinity has been closed, with authorities urging motorists to avoid the area.
The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service has issued a statement addressing the situation as a “major incident”, emphasizing their deployment of multiple resources to manage the incident. The public is urged to only contact emergency services via 999 if their situation is deemed life-threatening in order to ensure an efficient response during this incident.
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