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.''