Five teenage girls were killed yesterday when a school bus overturned in the Irish Republic.

The bus was taking more than 40 youngsters home from secondary schools in Navan, County Meath, when it was involved in a collision shortly before 5pm in Kentstown.

A Gardai spokesman confirmed the fatalities and said a number of children were seriously injured.

Several other vehicles were also involved in the crash and a number of people were taken to hospital.

A spokeswoman for the Health Service Executive north-eastern area said injured children had been taken to hospitals in Drogheda and Dublin.

Caroline McDonnell, a teacher at a Montesorri school in Kentstown, said the bus had been returning pupils to the area from schools in Navan.

Gardai, fire brigade crew and ambulances attended the accident.

A Bus Eireann spokeswoman said its accident investigators were also attending the scene.

Guesthouse owner Patsy McDonnell, who travels past the scene of the accident every day, said: "It's not a particularly dangerous stretch of road, but there were roadworks there today."

Father David O'Hanlon, Catholic curate in Kents-town, said several families flocked to the crash scene.

Fr O'Hanlon, who attended the scene of the accident, said one mother had told him her daughter, who survived the crash, phoned her while she was trapped in the bus.

"She said her daughter rang her on the mobile and was simply hysterical and said 'Mammy, the bus has crashed'," he said.

"The girl was unable even to describe where she was or what had happened, so naturally these friends of mine raced to the scene."

Irish President Mary McAleese broke off from official engagements during a state visit to the US to speak of her distress at the "tragic loss of young life in this afternoon's dreadful accident in County Meath".

"She sends her deepest sympathy to the families and friends of those who have been bereaved," a spokesman said.

A spokeswoman for the Health Service Executive said 14 emergency ambulances attended the scene.

Crews from the Northern Ireland ambulance service were also put on stand by to help with the rescue operation.

The spokeswoman said: "A total of 26 patients were brought to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, in Drogheda. Six are in a critical condition and a number of patients are still being assessed."

"Twenty-five patients were taken to Our Lady's Hospital in Navan.

"Nineteen have been discharged and there have been two admissions, four others are still being assessed."