Rangers Supporters Bus Crash In East Ayrshire Leaves One Dead And Hospitalises 18

'No one should go to the football and not come home.'

A man has died and more than a dozen other people have been taken to hospital after a coach carrying Rangers fans was involved in a “serious” accident in East Ayrshire.

Police Scotland said 18 people were taken to hospital - three in a serious condition - after the coach was involved in a collision on the A76, near Crossroads roundabout in Kilmarnock, shortly before 1.15pm.

Police said the victims include seven men under 20 years of age, three men and three women aged between 30 and 59 and five men over 60

One victim, a man believed to be 39, has since died.

The road has been closed in both directions as investigators examine the scene of the crash.

There were 36 passengers and a driver on board the coach at the time of the accident.

Rangers assistant manager Davie Weir said he had “only just heard” about the crash.

He said: “Obviously there are things more important than football.

“Until we get all the details, I think it would be unwise to comment.

“But our thoughts are with the people involved, the families involved, and I’m sure the club will be very supportive in regards to anything they can do to help the situation.”

Inspector Darren Faulds told Sky News: “Enquiries are ongoing to establish the cause of the crash and anyone with any information is asked to call road policing officers at Irvine Police Office on 101.”

The BBC quoted one passenger as saying the bus had “swerved” before landing on its side on a grass verge.

Ryan Rowe, from Darvel, East Ayrshire, was driving to work when he passed the crash scene.

He said: “It must have happened just five minutes before I got there.

“Within two minutes the fire service, ambulance and police all turned up.

“There were still people trapped inside.

“One man I spoke to was just sitting down and in tears and he was shaking.

“He said the bus had swerved.

“Another young man had cuts all over his arm and blood all the way down it. He was holding it in the air to try and stop the bleeding.

“Two or three windows on the bus had been smashed and when I was there paramedics were still trying to get people out of the other side that the bus was lying on.”

Rowe said many of the passengers appeared to be in their teens or early twenties.

A screen has been erected around part of the damaged coach.

John Linton, a photographer who was at the scene, said it appeared the coach had either skidded into the verge or caught the camber of the roundabout and been left on its side.

He said: “They have screened it off, so that would suggest there was something pretty bad down there. There’s a screen at the rear end of the coach.

“There were smashed windows and an emergency door at the back was broken.

A Police Scotland statement said: “Police were made aware of the incident around 13:15 hours today.

“Emergency services attended and 18 people have been taken to hospital. Medical staff have confirmed that three people are in a serious condition.

“There were 36 people, plus the driver, on board the coach at the time of the incident.”

According to some reports on social media, the bus was carrying the Nith Valley Loyal Rangers supporters, the BBC said,

The Rangers are playing Partick Thistle at Ibrox stadium Saturday afternoon.

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