The driver of a schoolbus was killed this morning after his vehicle collided with a van in Elphin, Co Roscommon, near Carrick-on-Shannon.
Gardaí said 26 children were on the bus at the time of the crash, which occurred on a bend at Hill Street shortly before 8.30am. All were aged between 12 and 18.
The 56-year-old male bus driver was pronounced dead at the scene. He was named this evening as Eugene McGreevy of Boyle.
A Garda spokesman said none of the children was seriously hurt. Two or three were treated in hospital for minor injuries.
The driver of the van and two passengers were taken to Sligo General hospital, but are not believed to be seriously injured.
The crash happened as the bus collected pupils on the morning run to Carrick-on-Shannon community school. There are normally 40 children on the bus when it has completed the route.
The bus was operated by Bus Éireann. A spokeswoman said the company wished to extend its condolences to the man's family.
"Very tragically one of our drivers, who has been driving with us since 1978, was killed," she said. "The accident involved one of our school buses and a commercial vehicle on a bend in the road."
Bus Éireann launched its emergency response plan following the accident and five ambulances and gardaí attended the scene.
Tighter safety standards were introduced after five schoolgirls died on May 23rd, 2005, when the bus they were travelling on went out of control and overturned on the Kentstown road out of Navan as it did a school run.
Also in 2005, a Bus Éireann school bus caught fire as it travelled from Drogheda in Co Louth to Garristown, Co Meath, to pick up school children.