Deaths cast shadow on sunny spring day in city

The aftermath: It was a lovely spring day, and the city had that special buzz that comes with a Six Nations rugby weekend. Among the many Welsh supporters gravitating towards town was Emily Sanders from Cardiff, who was walking with friends onto Wellington Quay when she noticed people running.

"First we saw the bus on the pavement. Then we realised there were a lot of people underneath it. It was a tangle of legs and arms, and there were paramedics everywhere. I saw one person who was obviously dead because they covered her. They were bringing blankets out from the \ hotel.

"There were people crying or in shock. One woman said she knew she couldn't get out of the way of the bus in time, so she threw herself back against the wall, and it went just past her face. She kept saying: 'I can't believe it didn't hit me'. She was very shaken."

One of the victims of yesterday's accident was Mrs Margaret Traynor from Coolock. Mrs Traynor was waiting on a bus to take her to visit a friend, Ms Ruth McKenna, in Lucan.

Ms McKenna said Mrs Traynor's daughter was with her mother at the time of the accident and witnessed the tragedy. "Her family will never be the same again. People push past you at the bus stop. I was thinking only recently how easy you could be pushed under a bus. It's fair enough Bertie Ahern being here [at the crash scene], but it's too late now, something should have been done before now."

Ms McKenna said it was unacceptable that it took the death of her friend, and the four other victims, to bring into focus safety issues at the busy terminus. She said her friend's family are "devastated".

Once the dead and injured had been removed from the scene, it was impossible to reconcile the accident scene with the horror witnesses described. The two buses stood on the now deserted and cordoned-off quay, with little apparent damage, other than a broken front light on the one that had mounted the footpath, and a signpost bent out of shape.

Crowds gathered at Capel Street Bridge and on the boardwalk across the river, trying to make sense of what they were hearing. A woman shopper shuddered and blessed herself when told that five people were dead.

Among the first visitors were the Taoiseach, who had been nearby when it happened. "It's a terrible tragedy," he said, after speaking to the gardaí on Wellington Quay. "Five dead and others seriously injured. Very seriously injured. Most of the witnesses are very traumatised, understandably."

The Minister for Transport arrived shortly afterwards and was briefed by Garda Inspector Dan Quill from Pearse Street station. After viewing the site, Mr Brennan said it was "a very unusual place" for an accident to happen, but confirmed that separate Garda and Dublin Bus investigations were now under way. "For the moment, our only thoughts must be for the families and the terrible trauma they must be going through".

Within two hours of the tragedy, forensic experts were combing the road behind where the buses stood for evidence. The front of the Clarence Hotel remained closed. Ms Sanders and her friends were among people bringing floral tributes to the scene.

Gardaí at the barriers took the flowers and placed them in a bunch nearby.