KILKEE students have avoided injury after the bus on which they were travelling caught fire this Thursday morning in Tipperary.
In what were frightening scenes for the West Clare teenagers from St Joseph’s Kilkee Community College, the bus on which they were travelling for their school tour caught fire but fortunately all passengers had been removed from the vehicle in time.
No students were harmed with the bus driver credited for acting swiftly to get all passengers off the vehicle before the fire started at the back of the bus, shortly after 8am.
Emergency services attended the scene of the incident on the Dublin-bound carriageway of the M7 between the Roscrea and Borris-in-Ossory junctions 21 and 22. Both sides of the M7 motorway were closed to traffic for a period on Thursday morning causing major delays but access has since been reopened.
Principal of Kilkee Community College, Agnes Hehir confirmed to The Clare Echo that there were no injuries as have An Garda Síochána.
Students were heading on a school tour to Emerald Park in Co Meath and were able to arrive after being picked up by another bus.
Ms Hehir told The Clare Echo, “We are delighted to report that all students, the bus driver and staff are safe and nobody was injured. We would like to thank all services involved for dealing with the incident promptly and organising alternative transport to continue the trip. Students arrived to Emerald Park and are enjoying their day out as planned”.
