British heavy metal group Baroness have sustained minor injuries after a bus that they were travelling on their tour of the United Kingdom was involved in a serious accident.
The tour bus was travelling along a bridge on a highway near the town of Bath in the United Kingdom when the driver lost control and the bus smashed through the guard railings and down a 30 foot drop onto the road below the bridge, smashing through trees and vegetation as it fell.
There was no casualties from the accident, but early reports from local authorities indicated that two people, including the bus driver, were trapped in the wreckage of the bus and had to be rescued by fire and rescue teams. A number of ambulances and ten fire crews were dispatched to attend to the injured and free the trapped driver and passenger.
According to an eyewitness who saw the accident happen, the driver appeared to lose control and suddenly swerved off the bridge. In his statement, the eyewitness states that the tour bus was travelling at speed down Brassknocker Hill outside of Bath, and lost control on a bend.
There were 14 people on board the bus at the time of the accident, including the band members and their crew, of which nine have been taken to hospital to be treated for minor injuries. Two of the passengers sustained serious injuries, including multiple fractures, and they were airlifted to hospital from the scene. They are currently in a stable condition in hospital. It is unclear as to the extent of the injuries sustained by the members of the metal band, Baroness.
Police are currently investigating the cause of the accident, and have reported that it is too early to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the incident.
The band manager of Baroness have cancelled the rest of the dates on the band’s UK tour, and have wished the band members and crew a rapid recovery. Although the European tour has been cancelled, Baroness is expected to travel to the United States for the US leg of their tour in September.
The four members of Baroness were touring the United Kingdom to promote their latest album, ‘Yellow and Green’, that was released last month by their record label, Relapse Records. The band had played in Bristol the night before the incident and were expected to play in Bath that evening. According to the band’s official website, the band members are recovering well from their injuries in local hospitals in England.