Bus bombed in Yorkshire

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33451, 5 February 1974, Page 1

Bus bombed in Yorkshire

t \ Z r A Reuter—Copyright! I EEDS (England). February 4. \ bomb blew apart a speeding coach carrying soldiers and their families in 'i orkshirc early today killing 11 people including two children and a woman and injuring at least 14 others.

About .">(1 people were ion the Black and White bus when the bomb blast disintegrated the rear section, strewing wreckage and bodies lor 25(1 yards on the .MG2 motorway near Bailey. Most of the passengers were soldiers of the Fusiliers Regiment which has two bat taiions stationed in Northern Ireland, and military sources believe that the blast was the work of Irish extremists. Two of the injured who were taken to three nearby, hospitals were on the critical' llist. The blast touched off a police chase for three other coaches also heading for the isame destination at the Army! barrack town of Catterick in’ I the north of England. These three, taking soldiers (back to Catterick from week-i end leave in London, Liver-i -poll and Leeds were stopped■ .and searched by police — land found safe. The bombed bus, travelling from Manchester. was part of a regular week-end service I introduced because of a goslow by train drivers which has closed down rail services throughout Britain on Sundays. The coach-was almost torn in two by the blast.

•‘lt is worse than anything I saw in France and Germany during the war." said one of the tiremen lighting to cut their way through the twisted Avreck to get at the victims "The bodies were torn apart." Police --aid that no other vehicle was damaged by the ‘explosion.