A tour coach returning from the Bestival festival has crashed in Surrey, leaving three people dead and all 50 survivors injured.
A spokesman for the South East Coast Ambulance NHS Foundation Trust said: "A total of 50 patients, some of whom have serious injuries, have been taken to hospitals across the region."
The vehicle veered off the road and hit a tree on an embankment of the northbound side of the A3 near Hindhead.
The accident happened at 11.50pm last night between the northern end of the Hindhead tunnel and the exit for Thursley.
No other vehicles are believed to have been involved and the northbound carriageway is expected to remain closed until around 4pm.
Inspector Richard Mallett, speaking at the scene to Sky News, said the coach had been full.
"We are dealing with a major incident, a tragic major incident, the coach has gone off the road and had a significant impact with a tree, I think that is the best way to describe it," he said.
"The bodies are still trapped inside the vehicle. As you can imagine it is a very delicate operation to remove them.
"With all due respect to them, we need to get them out properly - It is a body recovery operation at this point here."
The coach is believed to have been travelling for about one hour and the driver is suspected of being one of the dead still in the vehicle.
Insp Mallett later said: "We don't think the road conditions or weather were factors.
One passenger on the coach operated by Merseypride Travel was airlifted to Southampton General Hospital with "life-changing injuries".
"Some people were unconscious when they were taken away," Insp Mallett said.
Some of the injured have since been released from hospital.
Other passengers were taken to the Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford, St Peter's Hospital in Chertsey, St George's Hospital in Tooting, King's College Hospital in London, Frimley Park Hospital and Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth
Waverley Council set up a crisis centre for emergency staff and the British Red Cross gave assistance.
The charity said: "In response to the coach crash in Surrey we deployed volunteers and two ambulances to manage a rest centre and assist A&E."
Police are working with their counterparts on Merseyside and the coach company, en route from the Isle of Wight, to identify the passengers and notify relatives.
Twitter user @jaycoso tweeted: "My cousin was on that coach, broke is jaw an arm, and he's lucky, 3 people confirmed dead… "
Another Twitter user, @FayJohnstone, said: "Devastated that my Dans been in the coach crash in Surrey…"
"He's very very shook up. In a neck brace and lots of cuts & bruises. He's alive, that's the main thing xxxxx."
:: Concerned relatives have been advised to contact the crash hotline on 0800 056 0154. Source
