TWO men have suffered serious injuries after a van was involved in a crash with a Stagecoach bus.

Police Scotland are appealing for witnesses to what they described as a “serious crash” on the A77 road in Ayrshire.

The incident took place near to the junction with the A719 road at Galston, East Ayrshire, at about 5.30pm on Monday.

Emergency services attended and both the driver of the bus and the driver of a white Ford Transit were taken to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.

The 23-year-old man who was driving the single decker Stagecoach bus is said to be in a critical condition, while the 42-year-old man who was driving the van is described as being “serious but stable”.

Two passengers on the bus, a 68-year-old woman and a 19-year-old man, were also taken to hospital by ambulance as a precaution and were later discharged.

The road was closed for several hours for crash investigation work to take place, but has now reopened.

Inspector Craig Beaver of Police Scotland said: “Our inquiries to establish the full circumstances are ongoing, and we are appealing to anyone who may have seen what happened to come forward.

“In addition, if you were driving in the area around the time of this crash and have dash-cam footage that could assist with our investigation, please get in touch.”