Rock band's tour bus falls 30 feet off viaduct near Bath
A coach, carrying American band Baroness, has left the A36 near Bath and plunged 30ft from a viaduct, seriously injuring two people on board.
The American heavy metal quartet are understood to have been en route to Southampton at the time of the accident after playing a gig at the Fleece in Bristol.
The band had been nearing the end of a month-long European tour which had started in Switzerland and was due to end in Germany later this week.
Emergency services were called to the A36 close to Limpley Stoke Bridge near Bath at 11.30am following reports a 52-seater coach had failed to stop and had left the road, plunging 30ft from a viaduct.
An Avon and Fire Rescue statement explained that when the emergency services arrived at the scene, seven passengers had already walked free from the wreckage.
The driver and one passenger were trapped inside and had to be freed.
Those who were trapped in the wreckage are understood to be seriously injured. Eight people involved in the incident were taken to Royal United Hospital in Bath.
The driver, believed to be in his 30s, has been taken to Frenchay Hospital in Bristol.
Two men who work nearby heard the crash and came to help:
A spokesman for Baroness' British promoters, Advance Music Promotions, was unable to confirm whether their gig tonight at Talking Heads in Southampton would go ahead. He referred callers to the promoters' website and Facebook page.
Avon and Somerset Police has launched an investigation into the cause of the crash.
Brassknocker Hill is one of the steepest roads in the area and would have been wet at the time of the accident following heavy rain. It's junction with the A36 is close to the restored Somerset Coal Canal, a popular visitor attraction just below the embankment where the coach came to rest.
Anyone who may have witnessed this collision is asked to call the Collision Investigation Unit on 101.