Two pedestrians were among the three people killed in a car crash near a pier in Anglesey, police have confirmed.
The male and female pedestrians were both in their 60s and not local to the North Wales area.
Police say the vehicle involved in the crash was a grey Audi A8.
The driver of the Audi, who also died in the collision, was a local man in his 80s.
North Wales Police responded in the town of Beaumaris shortly after 2.45pm on Wednesday and confirmed three people died at the scene on Alma Street, close to Beaumaris Pier.
Members of the public and the emergency services all rushed to help.
Image: Photos from the scene in Beaumaris. Pic: Leon Marshall
Sergeant Emlyn Hughes from the serious collision investigation unit shared the police’s “deepest condolences” for the families of those who died.
“Yesterday’s collision will have had a profound effect, not only on the families of all those involved, but also to the wider community of Beaumaris,” he said.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those that assisted at the scene and those, including local businesses, who offered a place of refuge for all those involved.”
Advertisement
He confirmed the victims’ families were being supported by specially trained family liaison officers.
A witness told the PA news agency the collision involved “a car hitting a pedestrian and then hitting a house”.
Police are working to establish the full circumstances of what happened and have asked the public not to speculate.
The area around High Street was closed for some time, with North Wales Police urging people to avoid the area.
Image: The location of Beaumaris on Anglesey
Follow Sky News on WhatsApp
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
The town of Beaumaris, which has a population of around 1,100, is on the east coast of the island of Anglesey off the North Wales coast.
Reverend Lesley Rendle, associate vicar at St Mary’s and St Nicholas’s Church in Beaumaris, told Sky News that it would be a “while” before the community processed what had happened.
“Beaumaris is a town that’s busy with visitors enjoying their holidays,” she said.
“People here just aren’t used to seeing that many police cars. We very rarely get one, never mind the number that were here yesterday.”
She said the town had a “good community spirit”, which was on display in the aftermath.
“There was a lot of community response to the incident when it first happened. A lot of people ran towards it in order to help,” Rev Rendle added.
“I’ve been around this morning talking to a number of those people, just checking out that they’re alright.”
A British grandmother has died after contracting rabies from a “slight scratch” from a puppy during a holiday in Morocco, her family has said.
Yvonne Ford’s daughter said she travelled to the North African country in February but did not become ill until two weeks ago.
Robyn Thomson said in a Facebook post: “Our family is still processing this unimaginable loss, but we are choosing to speak up in the hope of preventing this from happening to others.
“She was scratched very slightly by a puppy in Morocco in February. At the time, she did not think any harm would come of it and didn’t think much of it.
“Two weeks ago she became ill, starting with a headache and resulted in her losing her ability to walk, talk, sleep, swallow. Resulting in her passing.”
Image: Yvonne Ford went to Morocco in February, her family said. Pic: Facebook
Ms Ford, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, was diagnosed with the virus at Barnsley Hospital.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said health workers and close contacts were being assessed and offered vaccination when necessary.
It said there was no risk to the wider public because there is no evidence rabies can be transmitted between people.
What is rabies and how is it treated?
Rabies is caused by a virus invading the central nervous system.
It is spread by mammals – such as cats, dogs, bats, raccoons and foxes – but in the UK it’s only found in some bats, according to the NHS.
Once symptoms appear, it is almost always fatal, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The first symptoms can mirror a flu, while later symptoms include numbness or tingling in the affected area, hallucinations, anxiety, difficulty swallowing or breathing, nausea, vomiting, agitation, excessive saliva and paralysis.
But if seen to promptly after a bite, scratch or lick by an animal that may carry the virus, treatment is usually very effective at preventing the condition.
Treatment usually involves two or more doses of the rabies vaccine or a medicine called rabies immunoglobulin, which is a liquid administered to the wound and is only required if the patient has not had the rabies vaccine or has a weakened immune system.
The rabies vaccine is recommended if you’re travelling to a part of the world where rabies is more common.
Around 60,000 people die every year from rabies worldwide, with the majority in Africa and Asia, according to the WHO.
Read more about rabies, and how to avoid getting it, here.
Dr Katherine Russell at the UKHSA said: “I would like to extend my condolences to this individual’s family at this time.
“If you are bitten, scratched or licked by an animal in a country where rabies is found then you should wash the wound or site of exposure with plenty of soap and water and seek medical advice without delay in order to get post-exposure treatment to prevent rabies.”
The UKHSA urges travellers to rabies-affected countries, for example in Asia and Africa, to avoid contact with dogs, cats and other animals wherever possible and check whether a vaccination is needed before travelling.
There have been six cases of human rabies associated with animal exposure abroad that have been reported in the UK between 2000 and 2024.
This includes a case in 2012, when a UK resident died after being bitten by a dog – the most common source of infection in most parts of the world – in South Asia.
Latest World Health Organisation figures show a number of deaths from rabies in Morocco have been reported every year from 2010 to 2022.
Rabies does not circulate in either wild or domestic animals in the UK, although some species of bats can carry a rabies-like virus. No human cases of rabies acquired in the UK from animals other than bats have been reported since 1902.
The grieving mother of a Scottish teenager who vanished for almost five weeks has told Sky News she believes a “third party” was involved in her son’s death – but police say there’s “no evidence” of that.
Cole Cooper, 19, was discovered dead in woods near Falkirk earlier this month following a missing persons inquiry his relatives don’t believe was taken seriously enough by police.
He was last seen on CCTV in May after leaving a house party, but police later revealed a former school friend had spoken to Cole a few days later nearby.
Speaking exclusively to Sky News, his mother Wendy Stewart, 42, revealed her son had “various arguments” in the days and hours before he disappeared.
Image: Cole’s mum Wendy (L) and his aunt Aimee
In an emotional interview, she said: “He was only 19, he should never have been taken. I am never going to see him again. I never got a chance to give him a last cuddle and hold his hand.
“Someone has taken that away from me far too soon. Whether it be intentionally or unintentionally, I do believe there has been some involvement by a third party and the result is the death of Cole.”
More on Scotland
Related Topics:
The family, who organised a local vigil in Cole’s memory last weekend, have vowed to get “justice”.
Asked what that means, Ms Stewart told Sky News: “Finding the culprit and getting justice that way. Finding the person that is responsible for the death of my child.”
Police previously said 400 residents were spoken to during door-to-door enquiries and more than 2,000 hours of CCTV footage was collected.
The 19-year-old’s death is being treated as “unexplained”, with a top police officer saying “at this time there is no evidence of any third party involvement”.
Image: A vigil was held in Banknock for Cole Cooper. Pic: PA
Cole’s aunt Aimee Tennie, 32, revealed the family’s anger over the police handling of the case as they attempt to find out what happened.
She said: “We are aware of small details surrounding the weekend leading up to it with arguments. He had a few arguments over that weekend. We want the details re-examined thoroughly.”
Sky News put all of the family’s concerns and allegations to Police Scotland.
The force initially swerved our questions and responded saying: “Enquiries remain ongoing.”
In an update later on Wednesday morning, Detective Chief Inspector Bob Williamson said: “We are carrying out significant enquiries into Cole’s death, however, at this time there is no evidence of any third party involvement.
“It is vital that we establish the full circumstances leading up to Cole’s death so that we can provide some answers to his family.
“The thoughts of everyone involved in this investigation are very much with his family and friends and officers will continue to offer them support and keep them informed as our enquiries progress.”
Ms Stewart claimed the probe has been handled “shockingly” with a failure to take her son’s disappearance seriously.
The 42-year-old said: “I have had to scream and shout from rooftops to be heard by the police. I don’t think they have handled it well.
“The police really need to take accountability and listen to families, they are reporting a missing child and understand the family knows their child best.”
Cole’s loved ones still have not been told when his body will be released to allow them to lay him to rest.
Two sisters drowned in pools in Wales’s largest national park, an inquest has heard.
Hajra Zahid, 29, and Haleema Zahid, 25, were pulled from pools on the Watkin Path – one of the six main routes to the summit of Yr Wyddfa, or Snowdon, in North Wales on 11 June.
North Wales Police said officers were called to the scene in Eryri National Park, also known as Snowdonia, at 9.31pm after they received a report that a woman had been pulled from the water, and another was said to be in the pools.
Both sisters, who were born in Pakistan but lived in Maltsby, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, were pronounced dead at the scene before 11pm.
Datawrapper
This content is provided by Datawrapper, which may be using cookies and other technologies.
To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies.
You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable Datawrapper cookies or to allow those cookies just once.
You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options.
Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to Datawrapper cookies.
To view this content you can use the button below to allow Datawrapper cookies for this session only.
Inquests into their deaths were opened at the Dafydd Orwig Chamber in Caernarfon on Wednesday, and assistant coroner for north-west Wales, Sarah Riley, said they “sadly both died as a result of drowning”.
“Investigations continue in terms of how they came by their death and the inquest is therefore adjourned to allow for completion of those investigations,” she added, as she offered her condolences to the sisters’ family and friends.
The coroner said the siblings “had travelled to the Nant Gwynant area with friends from university”, with a friend later identifying the University of Chester students.
Vice-chancellor of the University of Chester, Professor Eunice Simmons, said: “The University of Chester community is in mourning for the tragic loss of Haleema Zahid and Hajra Zahid and our heartfelt sympathies are with their families and friends during this incredibly difficult time.
“Haleema and Hajra had joined Chester Business School earlier this year on the Master’s in International Business course.
“They touched the lives of many here at Chester – their friends, the cohort on their course and the staff who taught them – and they will be deeply missed.”