Emily Manning, 10, was set to board the second of two coaches following an end of term trip to the zoo but ultimately she needed to get off as it was already full
A 10-year-old girl narrowly missed being on a bus that crashed in Minehead, Somerset, after she was told it was full.
Emily Manning had enjoyed an end-of-term visit to the zoo and tried to get on the second of two 70-seater coaches before she was turned away due to a lack of space. She ended up on the first coach and avoided being on the second which fell down a 20ft embankment, resulting in the death of one child and leaving 21 people with injuries. Emily said: «It had been a really nice day at the zoo. I wanted to go on the second coach because that’s where my friends were but there were too many people so I got off.»
Follow our blog for all the latest Minehead coach crash updates
She continued: «Everybody was in front of me and that meant I couldn’t. I was upset because my friends were on that bus but also lucky.»
Her dad, window cleaner Nick Manning, 48, from Minehead, expressed his relief, BirminghamLive reported. He said: «I just feel incredibly grateful that she wasn’t on it. I got a phone call when I was still at work asking me if I had picked up Emily yet because something terrible had happened.»
He continued: «It’s every parent’s nightmare, it’s absolutely awful. I had constant messages and phone calls checking Emily was ok. People were panicking.»
Prime Minister Keir Starmer shared his condolences via social media, posting on X/Twitter: «A heartbreaking update on the school bus crash in Somerset. There are no adequate words to acknowledge the death of a child. All my thoughts are with their parents, family and friends, and all those affected.»
Staff from nearby Old Cleeve preschool also expressed their condolences, adding: «Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by this tragic incident.» Another local voiced their support: «Thinking of everyone at this heartbreaking and devastating time. Our community is holding you all tight and surrounding you with love.»
He continued: «It’s an absolute tragedy, and one that’s still very much unfolding. We’re just standing firm with the school, with the families at this time, just to be with them in this time as a point of support.»
Exmoor Zoo released a statement, which read: «We cannot believe that fate has been so cruel to such a lovely, lively, well-behaved group of children from Minehead middle school on their way home with their coach.»
They added: «All our thoughts, blessings and prayers go out to everybody involved. We cannot comprehend what the children, their families, teachers and emergency crews are all going through now.»
