Eight school students among 13 injured in horror crash in Kilkenny

A TRUCKDRIVER has been airlifted to Tallaght University Hospital and eight secondary school students and two teachers are being treated at St Luke's Hospital in Kilkenny following a collision earlier today.

Gardaí and emergency services were alerted shortly after 10:20am following a collision involving a lorry and a school bus on the N77 at Ardloo, County Kilkenny on Thursday morning.

The driver of the truck, a man in his 40s, was airlifted to Tallaght University Hospital with serious injuries.

The driver of the bus, a man in his 50s, has been taken to Midland Regional Hospital in Tullamore, for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. 

The collision took place close to the Dinan Bridge on the Kilkenny to Ballyragget Road.

Approximately 40 Transition Year students were travelling to Kilkenny with their teachers when the collision took place.

Eight children and two adult passengers on the bus were removed from the scene by ambulance to St Lukes General Hospital, Kilkenny for treatment and assessment. Their injuries are described as not life-threatening.

Gardaí and emergency services remain at the scene.

Traffic diversions are in place and the scene is currently being examined by Garda Forensic Collision Investigators.

Gardaí in Kilkenny are appealing for any witnesses to this collision to come forward. Road users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) from the N77 in the vicinity of Ardloo at the time of the collision are asked to make it available to investigating Gardaí.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Kilkenny garda station on 056 7775000, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.