EIGHT people died and 33 were injured yesterday when a coach packed
with passengers on a sightseeing trip crashed on to a roundabout and
ploughed into trees.
The accident took place in good weather, and investigators were
considering whether speed was a major factor.
The bus driver's pregnant wife and their two-year-old son were thrown
clear in the crash.
There were immediate calls for seatbelts to be made compulsory in all
coaches and minibuses.
It happened near the village of Raglan in Gwent, south Wales, on the
A40. Eyewitnesses said the scene was like a ''battlefield''.
Some people had been thrown through windows and crushed beneath the
toppled bus. Others were trapped by trees which had been forced through
the side of the coach.
Three of the most seriously-injured passengers were critical last
night in intensive care in the Abergavenny hospital, while six others
were still undergoing surgery. A total of 22 passengers were seriously
injured.
Those who died, who have yet to be named, are not thought to include
any children.
The 53-seater coach was taking people and staff from the St David's
Centre in Aberdare on a sightseeing trip to Stratford-upon-Avon. The day
centre is run by Mid Glamorgan social services for people recovering
from mental disorders who live in the community.
Firefighters used specialised equipment to cut free 25 passengers,
including children. Four of the most seriously-injured were flown to
hospital by helicopter. A fleet of 21 ambulances dealt with the other
casualties.
The seven-year-old vehicle was operated by Lewis Coaches of Aberdare.
The company said it did not have seatbelts but was well maintained and
one of eight in its fleet.
The coach driver, Mr Philip Crisp, 30, was being treated for shock but
was described as ''only slightly injured''.
Gwent police said the coach was involved in a ''slight collision''
seconds before the fatal crash. But that incident was not thought to
have contributed to the accident at a roundabout near Raglan Castle,
they added.
Emergency services arriving at the scene faced ''utter carnage'', said
police. Superintendent Kenneth le Prevost of Gwent Police described it
as ''devastation''.
He said the accident happened on the flat surface of the roundabout.
The coach tumbled on its side and spun round in the opposite direction.
Pensioner George Plowman, of Fairfax View, Raglan, was one of the
first on the scene.
He said: ''I heard a loud bang and rushed from my garden and I was
joined by men from the roadworks site and we tried to comfort the
passengers as best we could.
''The coach driver was lying on the ground, totally shell-shocked.
Many others were lying around him, covered in blood.''
Mr Nigel Watkins, from a garage nearby, said: ''It was like a
battlefield.
''The coach had tipped over into the trees and they had all gone
through the side of the coach trapping the passengers. Others were in a
really bad way and were trapped by the trees inside the coach.''
Mr Richard Jones, deputy director of Mid Glamorgan Social Services,
said: ''It was just a simple day out, so that the clients could enjoy
seeing the sights of Stratford.''
Seven passengers were dead at the scene and another was found to be
dead on arrival at hospital.
Labour, the Consumers' Association and the British Safety Council all
called for seatbelts to be made compulsory in all coaches and minibuses.
At present the Government is planning legislation to ensure belts are
compulsory in all coaches and minibuses which carry children.
The European Commission is to introduce measures which will mean all
new coaches will have to have belts fitted from next year.
Europe's transport commissioner, Mr Neil Kinnock, pledged new coach
safety laws would be in operation throughout Europe by October next
year.
Nine teenage Army apprentices were praised for helping to comfort
survivors before the emergency services arrived.
The cadets, with three instructors, pulled up in their minibus and
were among the first on the scene.
Corporal Chris Collett, 28, from Trowbidge, Wiltshire, in charge of
the party, said: ''There were people obviously dead in the wreckage and
others walking around badly-injured or dazed. I did what I could to
organise what help was around.
''All the apprentices performed magnificently. They are on a two-week
leadership course but obviously did not expect to be confronted with
anything like this.
''We tried to keep them away from the worse of the mayhem, but we
shall be keeping a close eye on them after this trauma.''
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