Three Irish people were injured in a bus crash in Belgium yesterday.
They were on a shuttle bus with 53 other passengers going from Brussels city centre to Charleroi airport, used mostly by Ryanair, when the crash happened at 4.30pm.
The bus was travelling on the main motorway to the airport when the driver stopped suddenly to avoid a car and skidded on the wet surface.
The second section of the bus toppled over and 30 people, including American, Dutch, Italian and Japanese tourists, were injured, four seriously.
The injured were taken to regional hospitals and most of them were expected to be discharged last night. It is understood that the three Irish people received minor injuries. The shuttle bus company has a contract with Charleroi airport to take passengers the 46km from the city centre to the airport.
The service is popular and often used by Irish people who catch Ryanair flights back to Dublin.
A spokesman for Charleroi airport praised the emergency services. He said they had confidence that the bus driver, who was not hurt, was not the cause of the crash and that the bus was in good condition. "There will be a full investigation into the accident by Belgian police," he said.
He added that it was hoped to put most passengers on flights today or tomorrow.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Foreign Affairs said they were aware of the accident and were in touch with Belgian authorities.
