A major incident has been declared following a crash involving an overturned school bus in Co Down.
The incident happened on the Ballyblack Road East in Carrowdore, near Newtownards, on Monday afternoon with the bus carrying up to 70 people.
The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service said over 50 of the passengers have minor injuries with eight patients being treated for more significant injuries at the scene.
It despatched multiple resources to the scene including doctors, emergency crews, advanced paramedics, rapid response paramedics, ambulance officers and the air ambulance.
Police have asked motorists to avoid the area and said diversions are in place following the single vehicle crash.
The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service also posted to Facebook asking people to “Please only call 999 if your situation is life-threatening while we deal with this incident”.
The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service said five appliances and the specialist rescue team are currently at the scene.
Local councillor Robert Adair said the vehicle is a school bus.
“Praying everyone is safe and would ask motorists to use alternative routes,” he posted on social media.
It’s understood the bus was transporting pupils from Strangford College to Newtownards at the time of the crash.
The Belfast Telegraph understands that children were pulled out of windows of the vehicle which tipped over into a nearby field.
Parents of uninjured children have received telephone calls advising them to collect their kids from a local police station.
An eyewitness said described the scene “like a battlefield” and said they have no doubt “other parents will be getting calls telling them to go to the hospital”.