The Bodies of Six People Killed in a Lorry Crash in Glasgow Have Been Removed
Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister, said a formal identification process would begin for the victims of the lorry crash in Glasgow. The lorry has now been removed from George Square where it hit after coming at a high speed from Queen Street late at night.
Eight injured people including the driver are being treated in hospital, the bodies were removed overnight by a group of private ambulances. An investigation has begun to establish the exact circumstances of the event.
According to reports the lorry ran into a passer by outside of the Gallery of Modern Art (Goma), then drove onto the pavement travelling hundreds of meters and hitting several others. The vehicle finally crashed into Millennium Hotel outside Queen Street station. Eye witnesses claim they saw the driver “slumped over his wheel”, it is said the driver may have suffered from a heart attack. Three other employees were also in the lorry before the crash according to Glasgow City Council, a restaurant owner nearby claimed seeing the three passengers jumping from the vehicle and holding their head in their hands, looking devastated.
Witness Anjam Luthra described the event as it happened, “The lorry mounted the pavement and was just dragging everything with it. People started dialling 999 immediately. I saw at least two people lying in the middle of the street; they were getting CPR.”
Another witness Melanie Greg feared a baby was caught in the collision, “The bin lorry just lost control,” she said. “It went along the pavement, knocking everyone like pinballs. There was a baby in a buggy, and it just continued knocking people down until it ended up in the building.
“The only way it stopped was hitting the building. People were trying to run out of the way. But when something was coming out behind them like that, how can they run out of the way? There was noise, bangs, screams and everything. It was just horrific.”
Numerous tributes have been put on the site, Church of Scotland Moderator John Chalmers said the incident which happened just before Christmas was “simply devastating”.
He goes on to say, “For the second year in a row, Glaswegians will have to dig deep into their reserves of compassion and sympathy as they support the families of those who have been killed and injured today.”
Scottish Police are not treating the case as “sinister” as of yet but are continuing investigations. Witnesses with photos, videos or mobile footage of the incident are urged to come forward and contact them.
The crash is the second tragedy to affect Scotland after ten people lose their lives after a helicopter crashed into the Clutha Vaults pub on the north bank of the River Clyde on November 2013.
Sturgeon added how people at the scene of the accident readily came to the aid of the injured people, “There is something quite incredible about the spirit in this city. Everybody knows it is a city with a big, big heart.
“This morning it is a city with a broken heart but it will get through this as it got through the Clutha tragedy.
