Three children were taken to hospital after a school bus struck a railway bridge in Newport on Tuesday morning, ripping away much of the vehicle’s upper roof. Their injuries were not considered life-threatening, Gwent Police said.
The crash was reported at about 07: 45 BST on Tregare Street. The bus was carrying pupils to Ysgol Gyfun Gwent Is Coed, a Welsh-medium secondary school on Duffryn Way. Police, firefighters and ambulance crews attended, while the road was closed and diversions introduced.
Transport for Wales identified the bridge as Maindee West, on the railway route between Newport and Cwmbran. The collision temporarily blocked the line and caused cancellations and delays of up to an hour between Newport and Hereford; railway staff later inspected the bridge and deemed it safe for trains to resume.
The damaged double-decker bus was removed by around midday, with its detached roof recovered first. The rear of the upper deck had folded back, while no visible damage was reported to the bridge. Newport City Council said it was working with emergency services and that the welfare of those involved was its priority.
Jo Townsend said her 13-year-old son Gruff was among the pupils taken to hospital. She said he had scratches and bruises, was struck on the head by a pole and described darkness, flickering lights, screams and scraping metal immediately after the impact. A nearby nursery moved children elsewhere so paramedics could use the site while treating those injured.