11/07/2003

Belfast woman among motorway dead

A Belfast woman was one of the seven people to die in yesterday's motorway crash near Manchester, police have confirmed.

The 50-year-old, along with her husband who suffered minor injuries, was one of 14 holidaymakers caught in the accident involving a minibus and a car on the M56 at around 5.45am.

All the deaths - three men, three women and a nine-year-old boy – were passengers on the minibus, which had been travelling to Manchester airport at the time.

Greater Manchester Police are currently examining footage from motorway cameras to try to establish what happened.

It is believed that the minibus, which was pulling a luggage trailer, overturned, ripping off its roof as it hit a crash barrier.

(MB)

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