Bus carrying six children crashes into ditch, prompting rescue

A bus transporting six children veered into a water-filled ditch, leading to their rescue. Emergency services were dispatched to Leverington Common, near Wisbech St Mary in Cambridgeshire, on Thursday at approximately 17:15 GMT. Police reported that the school children were evacuated from the vehicle and were not believed to have sustained injuries. Authorities added that the bus driver was transported to a hospital as a precautionary measure. Eyewitness Laurence Manning stated that he assisted the children in exiting the bus after hearing their screams. He recounted, “We pulled each school kid out one by one and then we tended to the driver who was still in the cab.” Mr. Manning also mentioned that he contacted the ambulance service. He described the scene, stating, “The roof was caved in. As we’re in the bus we could hear creaks and cracks because it was sinking even more.” Manning added, “We had to check the bus several times, it was quite scary.” He emphasized, “But when there are kids involved you just have to get them to safety.” Concluding, he stated, “Luckily everyone was all right – few injuries but nothing serious.” Katie-Leigh Julian, a neighbor, reported that she cared for the children following their rescue. She commented, “The experience was not nice at all when it comes down to anyone, but when it’s children around and there’s no parents around it is heart-breaking,” Cambridgeshire Police indicated that emergency personnel were expected to remain at the location, and surrounding roads were anticipated to be closed “well into the evening”. The fire service confirmed that its firefighters, upon arriving at the scene, discovered a bus in a ditch and provided assistance to the driver in exiting the vehicle.