Pupils have been left traumatised after a school bus crashed and overturned in a field in County Down on Monday, the local MP has said.

Jim Shannon said the main focus was making sure the children affected were “alright” after the incident on Ballyblack Road East, near Carrowdore.

The bus was carrying 43 school children, as well as the driver, when it crashed just after 16:00 BST.

Four of the pupils were treated in hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Translink said the bus was carrying students from Strangford Integrated College to Bangor.

The principal, Clare Foster, said it had been a difficult and distressing experience for the pupils the wider school community.

She said the school was working closely with the Education Authority, whose trained staff in critical incident response would be supporting parents and pupils.

Shannon, the MP for Strangford, told BBC News NI’s Good Morning Ulster on Tuesday the passengers were “like a stone in a box” and described it as a “miracle” that no one was killed.

He said he understood one of the pupils had a pelvic injury.

The Democratic Unionist Party representative explained he spoke to a number of parents, including a woman whose daughter was on the bus and had experienced both physical and emotional trauma.

“We must find out what happened,” he added.

Shannon also confirmed that extra staff will be present at the college to “reassure the children and the parents”.

Shannon asked people not to speculate abut what happened and said: “The reasons for it are unknown.”

In a statement, the PSNI said paramedics treated and discharged 33 people at the scene.

Firefighters used specialist cutting equipment to rescue two casualties from the bus.

Speaking to BBC News NI at Strangford College on Tuesday, Ulster Unionist Party Councillor Pete Wray said there would be a full investigation into the crash to see if lessons can be learned.

“My emotions are one of relief and gratitude that everyone was okay and everyone responded so well,” he added.