A child has died after a coach travelling back to Minehead Middle School in Somerset flipped onto its roof on a remote road in Exmoor.
Avon and Somerset Police declared a major incident and emergency services rushed to the scene of the crash on Thursday afternoon.
Some passengers were taken to hospital with serious injuries, including two children who were air lifted to hospital.
Where was the coach travelling?
The coach was driving on the A396 at Cutcombe Hill on Thursday at 3.15pm when it went off road and slid 20ft down a bank.
It was travelling from Exmoor Zoo, taking the children back to Minehead Middle School after a school trip.
The crash happened just five days away from the end of term.
Who was injured?
About 60 to 70 passengers were onboard the coach carrying Year five children from Minehead Middle School, which caters for pupils aged between nine and 14.
The crash left 21 people injured, including two children who were airlifted to hospital with serious injuries.
Avon and Somerset Police said on Thursday evening that a child had died following the crash.
Speaking outside Bridgwater Police Centre, Chief Superintendent Mark Edgington said: “A number of other people have presented or been taken to hospital, some with serious injuries.
“This includes two children who were taken to hospital by air ambulance, many passengers either sustained minor injuries or were physically unharmed and were transferred to a rest centre.
“Work to help them return to Minehead has been taking place throughout the evening. An investigation into the cause of this incident will be carried out.”
What emergency services were at the scene?
An off-duty firefighter was travelling behind the coach when it flipped off the road, Gavin Ellis of Devon and Somerset Fire & Rescue Service said.
The firefighter was able to start getting passengers off the coach before additional emergency services arrived including fire, ambulance and police.
Wayne Darch, deputy director of operations for the South Western Ambulance Service said: “We declared a major incident that has since been stood down.
“We sent 46 resources to the scene, including 20 double-crewed ambulances, three air ambulances, a command team and two hazardous area response teams.
“We treated several patients at the scene and conveyed 21 patients to hospital via land and by air.”
After passengers were evacuated many were held at a rest centre in a pub in Wheddon Cross, while efforts were made to transport them back to Minehead.
What caused the crash?
It is currently not known what caused the coach to slide off the road and down a 20ft bank.
Rachel Gilmour, the MP for Tiverton and Minehead, described the road where a school coach overturned in Somerset as “very difficult to manoeuvre” and said she was heartbroken for the families affected.
She told BBC Breakfast the crash was “pretty catastrophic”.
Asked about the area, Ms Gilmour said: “It’s a very difficult road, very, very steep, very windy, and it’s just the nature of rural roads in my constituency, you know, Minehead famously, only has one road that takes you into it on the A39 and if you’re coming from where I live in Bampton or across the Moor, those are the roads that you have to use.”
An investigation into what caused the crash will now take place, with police urging people not to speculate on the incident.
The trust which runs the school whose pupils were on the coach that crashed near Minehead, Somerset, has said it is working closely with the emergency services.
In a statement, Beacon Education Multi-Academy Trust, which runs Minehead Middle School, said: “We are working closely with the emergency services and relevant authorities following an incident this afternoon to support our pupils, families, and staff at this very difficult time.
“We will update our school community further as soon as more information becomes available, and we kindly ask for your patience and understanding as we manage this evolving situation with care and sensitivity.”
