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Around 30 passengers hurt after bus overturns in Belfast Belfast bus crash: 30 people treated for their injuries
(about 7 hours later)
Around 30 people, including two children and a pregnant woman, have been injured after a double-decker bus overturned close to Central Station near Belfast city centre. A senior member of the Ambulance Service has said it was very fortunate that no-one was seriously injured or killed after a double-decker bus overturned in Belfast on Sunday.
Some passengers were put on spinal boards, but none of the injuries are serious. Around 30 people, including two children and a pregnant woman, were injured in the accident.
Five people received medical treatment at the scene. Cutting equipment was used to free the badly injured driver from the bus.
It is understood that cutting equipment was used to free the badly injured driver from the bus. The injured passengers were taken to four hospitals in Belfast.
Ciaran Rogan from bus company, href="http://www.translink.co.uk" >Translink, said the accident happened around 14:15 BST. The bus travelling towards Belfast city centre mounted the kerb just outside Central Station and collapsed on its side around 14:15 BST.
"A double-decker bus travelling towards Belfast city centre mounted the kerb just outside Central Station and collapsed on its side," he said. John McPoland from the href="http://www.niamb.co.uk/" >Northern Ireland Ambulance Service said more than 20 of its personnel attended the scene.
"The passengers to the best of our knowledge could be described as walking wounded. They have been taken to four hospitals in the city. 'Pandemonium'
"The driver was a bit more seriously injured. He had to be cut from the cab and has been taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital." "My first thought when I heard about the incident and I was on my way to the scene was that we were going to be coming into a scene which was going to be absolute pandemonium," he said.
John McPoland from the href="http://www.niamb.co.uk/" >Northern Ireland Ambulance Service said more than 20 of its personnel attended the scene and treated passengers for cuts, bruises and sprains. "We didn't know what we were going to find.
Nine people were taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital, including the bus driver. Another 10 people attended the City Hopsital, while eight were taken to the Mater Hospital. "We weren't sure how many people were on the bus until we actually got there, but thankfully when our first rapid response paramedic arrived he was quite quickly able to feed through to our control centre that the people on the bus were not seriously hurt."
Nine people were taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital, including the bus driver. Another 10 people attended the City Hospital, while eight were taken to the Mater Hospital.
Two children were transported to the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children and a pregnant woman was brought to the maternity unit at the Ulster Hospital in Dundonald.Two children were transported to the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children and a pregnant woman was brought to the maternity unit at the Ulster Hospital in Dundonald.
Neil Green works in the Santander building opposite the station. Most of the injured passengers were treated for cuts, bruises and sprains.
"We all went to look out of the window because there was such a loud bang," he said. 'Neck pain'
"The police cordoned off the area and we could not get out of the side alley to our building. "A lot of people were shocked, some people had lots of cuts and bruises, there was lots of broken glass about the place," said Mr McPoland.
"Looking out of the window at it now, I can see that the emergency windows are open where people were evacuated. The front of the bus looks really badly mangled." "One or two people were complaining of neck pain, so we had to treat that as a potential spinal injuries for about six or seven of the passengers onboard.
'Facts' "The bus driver had to be cut out out by the Fire Service to allow us to remove him from the vehicle."
Health Minister Edwin Poots said the crash would have been a "very frightening incident" for everyone involved, and offered his supported to the injured. Stacy Woods witnessed the crash.
Mr Rogan said it was too early to say if the accident had been caused by mechanical failure or human error. "It was quite dramatic. I ran up right away just to see if I could help out," she said.
"A lot of people were there on the scene and helped out.
"A lot of people from the oncoming traffic just went over to help smash open the windows to get the people out. It was very public driven.
"The guy I took to hospital and his baby were ok, that was all that mattered."
Investigation
Ciaran Rogan from bus company, Translink, said it was too early to say if the accident had been caused by mechanical failure or human error.
"At the moment between our engineering staff and the police, who are taking the lead in terms of the investigation, all we know are the facts of the incident," he said."At the moment between our engineering staff and the police, who are taking the lead in terms of the investigation, all we know are the facts of the incident," he said.
"The bus mounted the kerb, hit a wall at the side of the pavement and fell onto its side."The bus mounted the kerb, hit a wall at the side of the pavement and fell onto its side.
"Beyond that we are not in a position to say what caused it." "Beyond that we are not in a position to say what caused it.
He said an emergency plan was put into action as soon as the incident happened.
"It is very exceptional that you would have any incident like this," he said.
"I don't think there is anyone I have spoken to who can remember something like this happening before.
"The fact that it is so unusual means the investigation will have to be fairly rigorous and until we find out the results of that investigation, it's impossible to say exactly why it happened.""The fact that it is so unusual means the investigation will have to be fairly rigorous and until we find out the results of that investigation, it's impossible to say exactly why it happened."
The bus has been removed for examination.
Rail services are continuing to operate as normal from Central Station.
The Albertbridge Road and East Bridge Street remain closed.