DUBLIN'S Wellington Quay became the scene of confusion, mayhem and death yesterday after five people were killed and more than 21 injured when an unoccupied bus veered into a large group of commuters boarding another Dublin bus outside the Clarence Hotel.

Of the dead, three were women and two were men.

One non-national was among those killed. While gardaí were saying that the cause of the incident was unclear yesterday evening, it is understood that an Airlink Express bus mounted the footpath outside the hotel and careered into a group of passengers boarding a No 66 bus, which was stationary.

It is believed that most of the dead were killed instantly, while at least one of those killed died at the scene. Other passengers were trapped under the central section of the base of the Airlink bus and were seriously injured.

Emergency crews rushed to the scene, including seven units of the Dublin fire brigade from Tara Street and Phibsboro stations, and six ambulances from the fire brigade service. Firemen moved in to free over a dozen trapped and injured passengers. There were initial fears that a fire might break out as firemen attended the crash site but workers moved ahead after this was ruled out. The fire crew set up inflatable air-pressure bags, with a capacity to lift over 36 tonnes of weight, to raise the front and centre of the bus off the injured commuters.

Gardaí at the traffic unit in Dublin Castle received notice of the accident just after 1.30pm and all available units were despatched to the scene, including over 20 motorcycle units, which quickly closed off the site of the accident from Aston Quay to Wood Quay.

Gardai at the traffic centre had been due to change shift at 2pm but all staff working prior to the changeover remained to attend the crash site.

Crowds of pedestrians and Saturday shoppers in Temple Bar and on the opposite North Quays pushed their way around the edges of the garda boundary each side of the Wellington Quay scene and looked on in horror at the tragic scenes.

Many of the fire crew said the scene was one of the most horrific they had ever witnessed. "We got in there and got to work but it was very unreal. This is an ordinary Dublin street and this doesn't happen. The injured were very badly shaken up. I think most of us, even the older ones, have never seen anything as bad as this, " one fireman told the Sunday Tribune.

The injured were rushed to St Vincent's and St James'hospitals where they were being treated for a variety of serious injuries last night. Initial reports from gardai at the scene said that four were killed in the accident but the death toll increased to five by 2.45pm.

Just before 3pm the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, visited the scene to talk to rescue workers and gardai and he remained at the site for around a quarter of an hour. He described the scene as horrific. "It was with great distress that I learned about those who have lost their lives and the many others who have been injured, going about their daily lives in Dublin city centre, " he said. He expressed gratitude to the emergency workers for their rapid reaction and expressed his sympathies to the families of the dead and injured.

A spokesperson for Dublin Bus said the incident was unprecedented in terms of the multi-fatalities in an accident involving a bus from their fleet.

However, a spokesperson for the Dublin fire brigade said the incident was among the most serious "in recent months", in terms of overall road traffic accidents requiring fire service assistance.

Yesterday's accident further increases the number of people killed in road traffic accidents to date in 2004, when the number had already surpassed figures for the same period last year. Figures released last week showed that 47 people were killed in road traffic accidents here in the first six weeks of 2004 ? 10 higher than the same period in 2003.

Approximately 12,000 people are injured in road crashes annually, 1,500 of whom are seriously injured. The main causes of death and injury on Irish roads remain the excessive use of speed and inappropriate speed, drink driving and driver fatigue, among other factors, according to the National Safety Council.

By 4pm yesterday, the large crowds of onlookers had moved off. The scene was cleared after the buses had been marked by the garda in charge of the traffic unit's investigation. It is understood that a subsequent garda investigation of the incident will have access to a record of the scene taken by garda traffic cameras, which are maintained in Dublin Castle.

DUBLIN'S Wellington Quay became the scene of confusion, mayhem and death yesterday after five people were killed and more than 21 injured when an unoccupied bus veered into a large group of commuters boarding another Dublin bus outside the Clarence Hotel.

Of the dead, three were women and two were men. One non-national was among those killed. While gardaí were saying that the cause of the incident was unclear yesterday evening, it is understood that an Airlink Express bus mounted the footpath outside the hotel and careered into a group of passengers boarding a No 66 bus, which was stationary.

It is believed that most of the dead were killed instantly, while at least one of those killed died at the scene. Other passengers were trapped under the central section of the base of the Airlink bus and were seriously injured.

Emergency crews rushed to the scene, including seven units of the Dublin fire brigade from Tara Street and Phibsboro stations, and six ambulances from the fire brigade service. Firemen moved in to free over a dozen trapped and injured passengers. There were initial fears that a fire might break out as firemen attended the crash site but workers moved ahead after this was ruled out. The fire crew set up inflatable airpressure bags, with a capacity to lift over 36 tonnes of weight, to raise the front and centre of the bus off the injured commuters.

Gardaí at the traffic unit in Dublin Castle received notice of the accident just after 1.30pm and all available units were despatched to the scene, including over 20 motorcycle units, which quickly closed off the site of the accident from Aston Quay to Wood Quay. Gardai at the traffic centre had been due to change shift at 2pm but all staff working prior to the changeover remained to attend the crash site.

Crowds of pedestrians and Saturday shoppers in Temple Bar and on the opposite North Quays pushed their way around the edges of the garda boundary each side of the Wellington Quay scene and looked on in horror at the tragic scenes.

Many of the fire crew said the scene was one of the most horrific they had ever witnessed.

"We got in there and got to work but it was very unreal.

This is an ordinary Dublin street and this doesn't happen.

The injured were very badly shaken up. I think most of us, even the older ones, have never seen anything as bad as this, " one fireman told the Sunday Tribune.

The injured were rushed to St Vincent's and St James'hospitals where they were being treated for a variety of serious injuries last night. Initial reports from gardai at the scene said that four were killed in the accident but the death toll increased to five by 2.45pm.

Just before 3pm the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, visited the scene to talk to rescue workers and gardai and he remained at the site for around a quarter of an hour. He described the scene as horrific. "It was with great distress that I learned about those who have lost their lives and the many others who have been injured, going about their daily lives in Dublin city centre, " he said. He expressed gratitude to the emergency workers for their rapid reaction and expressed his sympathies to the families of the dead and injured.

A spokesperson for Dublin Bus said the incident was unprecedented in terms of the multi-fatalities in an accident involving a bus from their fleet.

However, a spokesperson for the Dublin fire brigade said the incident was among the most serious "in recent months", in terms of overall road traffic accidents requiring fire service assistance.

Yesterday's accident further increases the number of people killed in road traffic accidents to date in 2004, when the number had already surpassed figures for the same period last year.

Figures released last week showed that 47 people were killed in road traffic accidents here in the first six weeks of 2004 ? 10 higher than the same period in 2003.

Approximately 12,000 people are injured in road crashes annually, 1,500 of whom are seriously injured. The main causes of death and injury on Irish roads remain the excessive use of speed and inappropriate speed, drink driving and driver fatigue, among other factors, according to the National Safety Council.

By 4pm yesterday, the large crowds of onlookers had moved off. The scene was cleared after the buses had been marked by the garda in charge of the traffic unit's investigation. It is understood that a subsequent garda investigation of the incident will have access to a record of the scene taken by garda traffic cameras, which are maintained in Dublin Castle.

COMMUTER GROUP RAISED CONCERNS ABOUT WELLINGTON QUAY

SERIOUS concerns about the operation of a bus terminus on Wellington Quay, the scene of yesterday's tragedy, were repeatedly expressed to Dublin Bus by a commuter group over the last two years.

The concerns included the issue of safety for bus users and the difficulties in attempting to queue buses at a busy location.

Leixlip Town council's transport and traffic committee last expressed their concerns to Dublin Bus on 9 February when the Wellington Quay problem was the first item on the agenda of their meeting.

The terminus for the 66 bus, one of which was involved in yesterday's accident, was relocated from Abbey Street in 2001 to facilitate work on the Luas. Since then the Leixlip council has received constant complaints from commuters.

The 66 bus serves Leixlip on its route to Maynooth.

According to the transport committee's chairperson Catherine Murphy, the manager of Dublin Bus Coyngham Road depot Martin Duggan agreed with the concerns expressed.

"The manager at the February meeting agreed with our committee that not only was the terminus unsatisfactory for commuters, being too far from the city centre, unsafe and unclean, but from the Dublin Bus point of view it was a very difficult location for drivers in that it was difficult to queue buses, " she said.

According to Murphy, the 66 bus was offered a terminus in Mountjoy Square when Abbey Street became unavailable due to Luas works, but this also would have been highly unsatisfactory for traffic and safety purposes.

"This is a terrible tragedy for all concerned and our first thoughts must be for those killed and injured and their families and it is clear the cause of the accident is still to be determined. However, a rethink needs to happen immediately about a new terminus, which is too problematic, " she said. A spokeswoman for Dublin Bus said Wellington Quay was the only viable option for the 66 bus when Abbey Street became unavailable.

Meanwhile, yesterday afternoon a man in his 50s was knocked down by a bus in Camden Street, Dublin. He was taken to St James Hospital where his condition was unknown.