Four children in hospital after school bus crashes near Carrowdore, County Down

Four pupils have been taken to hospital after a school bus carrying dozens of children overturned in County Down.

Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) said 43 pupils and a driver were on board.

Apart from those taken to hospital, it said the rest were "in the process of being assessed, with a view to discharging at the scene".

An air ambulance and a specialist rescue team were among resources sent to Ballyblack Road East, near the village of Carrowdore, just after 4pm.

Dylan Lee, 12, a pupil at Strangford College, described what happened as they headed towards Bangor.

"The bus hit a post and it started to stall and went down this hill," he said.

"It just started shaking. I closed my eyes and then I opened them and I was on the floor. The first thing I did when I got up was to phone my mum."

Dylan said a man with a hammer smashed the windows so the children could escape.

"I was crawling under stuff like railings and school bags and stuff. It was on its side in the field," he added.

His mother Stacey Lee said: "I could hear him screaming that he had crashed and I could hear all the kids in the background screaming. It was awful."

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Luckily, Dylan's injuries appear minor - he was left with a lump and cut on his head.

The boss of Translink, Northern Ireland's public transport provider, said the company was helping police with their inquiries.

Chris Conway said no other vehicles were involved and confirmed four pupils had been taken to hospital.

"Our thoughts are with all those involved in this incident," he added.

(c) Sky News 2024: Four children in hospital after school bus crashes near Carrowdore, County Down