Major Collision Reported On N7 Dublin To Thurles Route

Seven teenagers travelling from Dublin to Thurles were hospitalised following a collision on the N7 at around 10.00pm (21st January 2014) last evening. All were among some 47 passengers on a bus which crashed in the vicinity of Kill, in Co Kildare.

The injured were treated at Naas General Hospital and we understand that none are seriously hurt and the seven detained have now been released.

We understand that the bus, travelling southbound lost control, between Junction 6 (Castlewarden) and Junction 7 (Kill), before colliding with a barrier. The rear of the bus was then struck possibly by a falling lamp post.

A major response was put in place by Gardai and the Emergency Services, while over a dozen Gardaí attended the scene. The HSE National Ambulance Service responded with a fleet of Ambulances from counties Kildare, Dublin, Meath and Offaly, including two Ambulance Incident Officers in addition to Fire Brigade units from Kildare and Dublin, all being mobilised to the accident location. The HSE National Ambulance Director Martin Dunne also attended.

Reports state that at one point, up to seven Emergency Ambulances were lined up outside the A&E Unit at Naas General Hospital delivering the casualties.

It is not known at this stage if any of the passengers on board were residents of Thurles.