Emergency declared at Altnagelvin after school bus crash in Tyrone

Altnagelvin Hospital's emergency procedures swung into place this morning after a bus crash in County Tyrone.

Fifty-two people, most of them children, were involved in the crash between a school bus and a car on the Omagh Road in Drumquin shortly before 8.30am.

Twenty-seven people were taken to Altnagelvin Hospital and 25 to the South West Acute Hospital in Enniskillen.

It is not thought any of them had serious injuries.

Rosemary Watterson, from the Western Education Board, said all those treated at the South West Hospital had been discharged, as had a significant proportion of those at Altnalgelvin.

The bus was travelling from Castlederg to secondary schools in Omagh.

"The vast majority need to be checked because of their age," Ambulance service spokesman John McPoland said.

Mr McPoland said six people had "slightly more than minor injuries".

He said this would have included children who banged their heads off the bus windows, but he said no-one went through any windows.

Mr McPoland said three of the patients had been brought to hospital by ambulance service A&E crews due to the nature of their injuries, which, although not serious, required further assessment.

The children and the occupants of the car were taken on two Translink buses to the South West Acute Hospital and Altnagelvin Hospital.

They were accompanied by paramedics.

Both the bus and the car ended up on their sides in a field.