The crash killed one person and left 50 injured[GETTY] Among those, nine people are seriously injured after their tourist bus crashed into a wall.
Eyewitnesses saw the driver wrestling with the steering wheel before the coach turned onto its side, throwing the occupants around, and all the windows blew out.
The coach is believed to have suffered a brake failure on a hill on the A387 at Morval, near Looe in Cornwall. It is believed the coach was been carrying passengers aged 60 and over when the accident took place at around 1pm. Three air ambulances, two from Devon and one from Cornwall, were scrambled together with two search and rescue helicopters.
Six land ambulances, five police rapid response vehicles and a hazardous response vehicle were also sent with fire crews from Looe, Liskeard and Bodmin. One local resident said: "All the neighbours have been rushing around making tea for them.
"We spoke to a few of the people who were coming out of the wreckage. It was a bus full of older people. "The passengers from the other side of the coach were deeply shocked by it all." South West Ambulance Service said: "A total of 54 casualties are currently being assessed by SWASFT staff. "
Nine are believed to have serious injuries, five are described as having serious but not life-threatening injuries and 40 are walking wounded. The road is quite bendy, and can be tricky, particularly for big vehicles Local resident
"The 40 walking wounded will be assessed by doctors and ECPs at a nearby village hall. "So far only one of the casualties with serious injuries has been taken to Derriford Hospital, Plymouth by an air ambulance."
One 69 year-old resident who has lived in the area since she was a teenager, said the remote road was difficult to negotiate. The woman, who did not want to be named, said: "Amazingly there have been no accidents on the road till this. "We've been waiting for something like this to happen for a while. "The road is quite bendy, and can be tricky, particularly for big vehicles. "I think that part, where I think the accident was, it particularly tricky." Police added: "The road has been closed and is expected to remain so for some time."
Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to please call police on 101 with reference 351 13/05/14.
Culled from daily express
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