Up to 15 schoolchildren have been treated for minor injuries, 10 of whom were taken to hospital, after the bus in which they were travelling collided with a bridge, near Blakestown in west Dublin this morning.
The crash happened shortly before 11 am, on the Blakestown Road in Mulhuddart, not far from Blakestown Community School where the children attended.
The crash happened as the bus travelled along the road which goes under a road bridge close to the Blanchardstown junction of the N3.
3 fire engines & 3 ambulances + @ambulancenas are currently attending a school bus vs bridge collision - Blakestown into #Mulhuddart. Firefighter/paramedics from Blanchardstown & Phibsborough stations on scene #Dublin #fire @aaroadwatch @DCCTraffic pic.twitter.com/5D1inqnLdq
— Dublin Fire Brigade (@DubFireBrigade) January 29, 2019
Some of the pupils were treated for facial injuries sustained in the crash while others complained of back and neck pain.
Dublin Fire Brigade spokesman David Kavanagh said it dispatched three fire engines and three ambulances to the scene, while further ambulances were dispatched by the National Ambulance Service.
He told RTÉ's News at One two children had been taken to Temple Street children's hospital with suspected spinal injuries.
The fire brigade treated children with neck and back pain as potential spinal injury cases, and some of the children were taken to the school from where parents and family members were contacted.
A single decker coach was involved in the crash which occurred at a location where a number of vehicles have previously come into contact with the bridge, said Mr Kavanagh.
He said the majority of the passengers on the bus were children but there were also a number of teachers on board.
School trip
The school principal, Eileen O’Connor, thanked the emergency services and said there had been no serious injuries.
“This morning a number of our students were on the bus on a school trip when the bus, on which they were travelling, was involved in an accident,” she said.
“The emergency services responded and thankfully there are no serious injuries, however a small number of students were taken by ambulance to hospital for further medical attention.
“All the parents were contacted and the school implemented the school critical incident management plan. The care and the wellbeing of our students and our teachers was the main priority this morning and continues to be.
“I am very thankful to the emergency services, the school staff and students and the parents and members of the local community for their support and assistance this morning.
“We are delighted there were no serious injuries.”
Local Sinn Féin councillor Paul Donnelly tweeted his concern for the pupils and said the bridge “has been struck dozens of times by trucks” and said this need to be addressed.
