Dozens of school children escape blaze as fire reduces coach to ashes - The Solihull Observer

Dozens of school children escape blaze as fire reduces coach to ashes

Solihull Editorial 24th May, 2016 Updated: 21st Oct, 2016   0

DOZENS of school children and their teachers escaped a coach that burst into flames as it travelled on a bust motorway yesterday.

The incident happened on the M6 northbound at junction 3a near Castle Bromwich at approximately 3.40pm on Monday (May 23) afternoon.

Two ambulances a paramedic area support officer and a senior paramedic officer were sent to the scene.

The double decker bus had been reduced to remains by time crews arrived to the scene.




59 children and seven staff on board were moved to a second coach that stopped to offer assistance.

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “13 children and the coach driver were assessed for smoke inhalation.


“Four ten-year-old girls were taken by ambulance to Birmingham Children’s Hospital for further assessment, though their conditions are not thought to be serious.

“This could clearly have been a much more serious incident but for the quick actions of the coach drivers, teachers and children.”

The trust paid tribute to Eavesway Travel of Wigan whose coach driver spotted the issue, stopped at the side of the motorway and helped evacuate the children.

He then kept them and their teachers safe on his coach while firefighters dealt with the blaze before taking them to the Motorcycle Museum where they met up with a replacement coach to complete their journey.

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