One dead and 11 hurt in bus crash near Ardrossan Published duration 22 March 2016

One person has died and 11 others have been injured - two of them critically - after a bus and 4x4 vehicle collided on the A78 in North Ayrshire.

The Stagecoach 585 service and the 4x4 crashed near the Rowan Tree restaurant, north of Ardrossan, at about 14:15.

The Scottish Ambulance Service declared the scene a major incident. Two air ambulances attended, along with specialist trauma teams.

The road was reopened on Monday night after being shut for several hours.

Police Scotland said: "At around 14:15 hours on Monday 21 March, police and emergency services responded to reports of a serious road traffic collision between a service bus and a 4x4 vehicle on the A78, north of Ardrossan, close to the Rowan Tree Restaurant.

"There have been 12 people injured as a result of this incident. One person has been pronounced dead at the scene of the incident.

"Two people have been taken to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital by air and by road ambulance. Nine others have been treated at the scene or transferred to Crosshouse Hospital for observations."

image caption A bus and a 4x4 were involved in the crash near Ardrossan

A spokesman for the ambulance service said: "There are 11 casualties, several of whom are in a critical condition."

A spokeswoman for Stagecoach confirmed that the 585 service from Ayr to Greenock had been "involved in a serious incident...on the A78 near Ardrossan".

She said: "Our first thoughts are with those affected by this incident.

"The safety of our passengers and staff is our highest priority and we are assisting the police fully with their investigation into the circumstances."

A spokesman for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: "Our crews are at the scene of a serious road collision on the A78.

"We received a call from the ambulance service at 2.15pm today and firefighters reached the incident three minutes later.

"There were six appliances at the scene and firefighters worked alongside police and paramedics to assist those involved."