[SLIDESHOW] Three Arriva buses collide at Portes des Bombes, several injured

Three Arriva buses this afternoon were involved in a crash at the Portes des Bombes in Floriana.

According to persons on site, one of the buses skidded, and it hit the side of the Portes des Bombes. The bus behind it tried to avoid it and slowed down. But a third bus coming from behind tried to swerve, crashed into the second bus and hit the central strip.

Ambulances were dispatched immediately to site at 2:50pm. Two A&E consultants were deployed to the scene to assess the situation while other five A&E consultants took over the hospital's A&E department and various other professionals including nurses and other paramedics and Mater Dei senior administration assisted with the situation.
 
A total of 16 patients were seen at the A&E department. None of the casualties are in danger of loss of life and most of them will be discharged home. A few are still being treated at the A&E department and may require further in hospital observations.
 
The patients admitted to MDH were Maltese, save one Italian, one from Somalia and one from Congo. A number of persons were given treatment at the Floriana Health Centres for minor injuries sustained.

All three 12-metre buses involved in the incident were purchased new and registered for use in June 2011, Arriva said.

"The cause of the incident is unknown at this point and we are fully co-operating with the Maltese authorities in any investigation. Our incident investigation team on the scene have confirmed that road conditions at the time were wet following a heavy rain shower and there appeared to be traces of an additional substance mixed with the water on the road surface, thought at this point to be diesel," a spokesman said.

Two of Arriva's staff were also injured and taken for treatment. "Our thoughts remain with those concerned. We dispatched a number of senior management personnel to the scene to assist and support the police and other authorities in controlling the incident and caring for any passengers involved."

MaltaToday's Bianca Caruana was at the scene of the accident, reporting that at least 20 persons seem to have incurred superficial injuries.

"A woman with a neck brace is currently being lifted on a stretcher as we speak," Caruana said, adding that another ambulance had already left the scene with another woman while paramedics were assisting other passengers.

"The scene is horrific with some persons covered in blood - either their own or of others - holding bandages and being helped by the medical teams there. Passengers are traumatised and shaken and one woman passed out from the shock."

Caruana said that one of the bus drivers seems to have seriously injured his leg and was being escorted to a waiting ambulance on a wheelchair. "More ambulances are coming in as officials are trying to coordinate other means of transport to take the other passengers who suffered slight injuries to the health centres. Transportation has also been provided to the migrants to be taken to the open centres," she added.

An Arriva bus arrived at the scene to take the slightly injured passengers to the health centres.

The media was cordoned off away from the buses and the passengers.

The road was then closed to traffic as Transport Malta officials and police redirected traffic. The three buses were travelling from Floriana on their way to Valletta.

The scene was one of chaos as relatives of the passengers also rushed to the scene. All three buses have sustained extensive damages: one has gone up over the central strip in front of the arches, one has crashed into the side of the Portes des Bombes arches while the back of a third bus is completely damaged. A sheet of glass was all over the road with parts of buses scattered around.

It looks like the side of the bus that crashed into the arches has been ripped open, and stones pulled away from the arch itself.

In a statement, Arriva said its personnel arrived immediately on site and were collaborating with the Police and the Rescue workers.