BBC Breakfast star Charlie Stayt says 'it's difficult' as he opens show with 'really sad news'
BBC Breakfast's Naga Munchetty and Charlie Stayt kicked off Friday's installment of the show with some "very sad" news. As they launched into today's main stories, the pair somberly announced a heartbreaking major crash in Somerset that resulted in the death of a child and more than 20 injured people.
Charlie opened with: "Good morning. It's Friday, the 18th of July. Our main story is that a child has died, and more than 20 people, including children, have been taken to hospital after a coach carrying 70 people crashed on its way back from a school trip."
Naga added: "Staff and pupils from Minehead Middle School in Somerset were returning from Exmoor Zoo when the bus they were travelling on overturned and slid 20 feet down a bank." Charlie continued: "Emergency Services were called to a rural road near the village of Whedden Cross, where they found a coach on its roof with passengers trapped inside."
The BBC Breakfas t host handed over to correspondent Dan Johnson, who was reporting live from the scene of the devastating incident, the Mirror reports.
Charlie expressed his condolences: "Morning to you, Dan, such a difficult time for people there."
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Standing outside the school, Dan said:: "Yeah, really sad news that everyone here is struggling to take in."
He relayed the school's statement: "They have announced that the school will remain closed.
"Today, the school released a statement saying, 'This incident has had a very significant impact on our children, families, and staff, and as a whole community, we are deeply affected'."
The reporter added that parents of the children affected by the incident would be updated today with specifics on the support available for their kids in the aftermath of the tragic incident.
He then shared with his colleagues that a community-wide event is anticipated to be held at the school.
He said:, "This is a small town. This is a school that draws in children from around a wide area, the kind of place where people really do know each other.
"So I think everyone's thoughts will be with the family of the child who's lost their life, but also with the others who were affected by this."
Addressing the aftermath of the horrific crash, Dan explained: "More than 60 people who were on that bus, who were injured, to some degree, even the walking wounded, will have been shaken, will be traumatised, will need to process what they've been through.
"And there are still children who are in hospital, some of them with serious injuries. In terms of exactly how this crash happened.
"It's been described as a collision by the police, but they've given no further details on whether any other vehicle was involved."
Viewers can catch BBC Breakfast every morning at 6am on BBC One.
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