School Bus Crash in County Armagh Leaves Children Safe

A school bus carrying approximately 40 children from St Paul’s High School in Bessbrook, County Armagh, Northern Ireland, was involved in a crash on Tuesday, February 17, 2026. Remarkably, no serious injuries were reported.

Details of the Incident

The incident occurred around 3:30 PM on the Tullyah Road, a side road off the main Newry to Newtownhamilton Road near the village of Belleeks as reported by RTÉ. The children were en route to their homes in the village of Whitecross.

Pictures from the scene show the bus tipped into a ditch at a 45-degree angle according to RTÉ.

Emergency Response

A significant emergency response was launched, with the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) dispatching five ambulances, two advanced paramedics, one officer, and an ambulance doctor as detailed in a statement. Despite the severity of the scene, following assessment and initial treatment, no patients required hospitalization according to the NIAS.

School and Local Officials Respond

Dáithí Murray, Principal of St Paul’s High School, contacted parents to confirm the children involved were safe and had been collected as reported by the BBC. He also noted the incident caused “significant shock” to the pupils according to Metro.

SDLP MLA Justin McNulty expressed relief that the children were able to walk away with only minor injuries, stating it could have been a much more serious incident as reported by RTÉ. He also acknowledged the “hugely traumatic incident” for all involved according to RTÉ.

The school has indicated that support services will be available for pupils when they return to school, if they feel well enough as stated by Metro.

Ongoing Investigation

Police have requested the public to avoid the area while they investigate the incident and are expected to provide an update in due course according to RTÉ.