MORE THAN 50 people were taken to hospital after a crash involving a bus taking pensioners on an outing in Co Donegal.
Most of the injured were aged between 70 and 80. As a precaution, they were treated in Letterkenny General Hospital after the Saturday evening collision, at Castlegory, Killybegs.
Three people, including the driver of a car which was also involved, were detained overnight.
The elderly people on the trip were from the small towns of Carrigans and St Johnstone in northeast Donegal, near the Derry border.
The trip was organised by the voluntary Carrigans and St Johnstone Social Services Group, linked to Care of the Aged.
They were on their way from a two-hour shopping and sight-seeing stop in Donegal town for an evening meal and some dancing at the Nesbitt Arms Hotel, Ardara, when the incident happened.
Letterkenny General Hospital activated its major incident plan to deal with the dozens of patients brought in by ambulance and car following the incident.
The hospital said 49 patients were assessed, treated and discharged, with follow-up outpatients’ appointments arranged.
A further three patients with more serious but not life-threatening injuries were admitted to hospital.
Sean Murphy, the hospital general manager said: “The overall hospital response worked extremely well.”
Mr Murphy said he wanted to “thank staff for the prompt response, especially those who came in off duty.”
It is understood that there were two people in the car involved in the incident.