An eyewitness who helped rescue children following a double decker school bus crash yesterday has said the scene was like “something from a movie”.
Meanwhile, the father of two girls involved in the crash said his daughters have been left “in shock” and won’t be back on a school bus “for a while”.
Gary Smith – who was on his way home from work when he saw the bus overturn in Carrowdore on Monday afternoon – described smashing the glass on the vehicle alongside work colleagues “like lunatics” to try and help.
Four children were taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries following the single vehicle collision which happened on Ballyblack Road East outside Newtownards.
A total of 33 people were treated and discharged at the scene where a bus transporting Strangford College pupils to Bangor crashed into a field at around 3.50pm.
Speaking to BBC Radio Ulster on Tuesday morning, the man said he saw the bus “going up its side up a field” as he was returning from work alongside his colleagues.
“We pulled in where the bus went through and we jumped out there were people behind me jumped out too trying to kick the glass in to get the pupils out,” he said.
“We couldn’t break the glass. So we got a hammer out of the work van and we smashed it in and my work colleague he lifted the glass and we climbed in and got the pupils out.
The double-decker school bus that crashed in Carrowdore, Co Down. Pic: Press Eye.
“It is just something you don’t want to see. Through the cracked glass you could see the panic on [the children’s] faces, they were crying and shouting for help. We attacked the glass like lunatics and we got them out.
“God knows what you could have walked into there.
“It was like something from a movie. It is hard to believe there were nearly 40 people on the bus.”
“[The bus] was going along, there were cars going by it. It just clipped something and lost control. The driver was absolutely in shock. I just couldn’t believe there was no one seriously seriously hurt.”
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Johnny Currie – whose twin daughters were on the bus – said both have woken up with sore backs and necks and won’t be in school.
“I feel really relieved the girls walked away. Whenever we first heard the news… it was a very fast moving situation. It was very, very frightening,” he said.
“I was just at the bus station where I usually pick up the girls I got a call from my wife to say she had heard there had been an accident. It was just a very uncertain few moments.
“I was able to park up a mile from the site and run the rest of the way. It was an awful situation no parents wants to be in. They didn’t really say very much they were clearly in shock. We won’t expect them to be in school this morning.
Emergency workers at the scene of the school bus crash in Co Down on Monday afternoon (Mark Marlow/PA)
“I would say they will not be in a school bus for a while sadly.”
The MP for the area Jim Shannon has said it is a miracle there were no deaths or serious injuries as a result of the crash.
The DUP MP for Strangford said the four pupils who were injured remain in hospital.
Mr Shannon told the BBC Good Morning Ulster programme that he was at Westminster when news of the crash emerged.
He said: “The photographs illustrate the issue. A high bank, the bus fell over the bank, fell on its side.
“If you are a person in a bus that is rolling or falling you are like a stone in a box, you just go with whatever direction it is going.
“Every one of the pupils were traumatised by what has happened.
“I have been in touch with the Education Minister (Paul Givan), I have also spoken with some of the people who assisted.
“A man who lives not more than a couple of hundred yards away, he noticed the bus going over and he ran over and, unknown to him, his daughter was on the bus.
“The people who came to help – the workmen, the farmers, the whole community, the animal charity which is just a matter of yards away – all these people came as they did to help, as quick as they could to get the children out of the bus.
“It is a miracle, an absolute miracle that there wasn’t worse injuries or, worse, fatalities.”
Mr Shannon said he did not want to speculate on the reasons for the crash, stating his priority is the welfare of the pupils.
He said: “There are four people – one with a pelvic injury, one with an arm injury, one with a leg injury, one with a hand injury – they are still in hospital.”
The MP said repairs have been carried out on the stretch of road where the accident occurred.
He added: “The main focus at this time is to make sure the children are all right.
“One of the parents told me yesterday that when their daughter came home she was all over the place.
“The physical trauma that she is feeling is clear, but there is also an emotional trauma.
“I understand from the minister that he will have extra staff at Strangford College today to reassure the children and the parents.
Public service provider Translink has said it is assisting the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) with their investigation.
The Education Authority has said it will work with Strangford College to provide support for any children affected by the events.
Stormont Health Minister Mike Nesbitt praised the response of emergency services crews and hospital staff.