At least nine people have died after a huge fire ripped through a moving bus that forced terrified passengers to smash windows and jum out to escape the flames. The incident happened on board a packed double decker sleeper bus, trapping dozens of passengers. So far, a woman and eight men have been confirmed dead, out of about 35 on board the bus at the time. The driver and conductor of the bus have both been arrested. A passenger who managed to flee the burning bus said the vehicle was crammed with passengers, many of whom were asleep when the terrifying blaze broke out. The passenger said: “I was sleeping when someone woke me up saying the bus had caught fire, and we all scrambled to get out. “It was not an easy situation to escape; there was a lot of smoke. We somehow managed to get out.” The fire took hold at around 11.30 local time forcing passengers to to smash the windows and jump onto the road, before rushing back to help rescue …

Firefighters are tackling a huge fire in Downpatrick, Co Down. Smoke and flames can be seen billowing from the Convent Of Mercy on St Patrick’s Avenue in the town with the roof well ablaze. The fire was reported at around 7pm on Sunday evening, June 28, reports BelfastLive. Police have asked members of the public to keep away from the area. A statement from the PSNI said: “Emergency services are currently dealing with a large fire in the Stream Street area of Downpatrick. Police would ask members of the public to keep away from this area to ensure everyone’s safety.” Horror footage from the scene shows thick smoke billowing across the sky. The Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) said a total of ten fire appliances are at the scene, along with a water tanker. The building is attached to St Patrick’s Church in the town. The fire is believed to be contained to the building, according to SDLP councillor Conor Galbraith who was at the scene. Built in the 1870s, the convent was …