Two women died and 47 other people were injured after a coach overturned on an icy road, police said today.
The vehicle, which was carrying passengers back from a trip to see a Christmas lights attraction, ended up on its side near Penzance, Cornwall, last night.
Of the 47 people hurt, five have been left seriously injured with the rest described as “walking wounded”, Devon and Cornwall Police said.
The coach is understood to have left the road, hit a tree and ploughed through a hedge before coming to a stop on its side in the village of Townshend, about seven miles north east of Penzance.
A force spokesman said the dead were two women from the west Cornwall area, one of whom was pronounced dead at the scene and the other who died after being taken to hospital.
Officers said road conditions were “treacherous” in the area of the crash and hampered the efforts of the rescue services to get to the scene.
The crash, which happened just before 10.15pm, came as temperatures plunged across the country during the current bout of wintry Christmas weather, causing widespread icy roads.
PA