Edinburgh Cowgate incident: Man dies after being hit by bus as cops issue social media warning

Get the latest Daily Record breaking news on WhatsApp

Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info

Join us on WhatsApp

A man has died after being struck by a bus in Edinburgh. The 74-year-old was struck by the single-decker in the city's Cowgate area on Saturday night.

Police Scotland officers were called to the incident at around 7.25pm last night, November 2, 2024, and closed several roads as they investigated. The roads have since reopened. Sergeant Louise Birrell, Road Policing Unit, Edinburgh, said today: "Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the man who died.

"Extensive enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances of this incident. Officers have spoken to a number of people who were in the area at the time and work is ongoing to check public and private CCTV footage.

"We are still keen to hear from anyone who has not yet spoken to police. If you have any information about what happened, then please get in touch. Anyone with information is asked to call the police via 101. Please quote incident number 3395 of Saturday, 2 November 2024."

Chief Inspector Trisha Clark, the local area commander, issued a warning over social media content in the wake of last night's tragedy. She said: "We are aware of videos and images circulating on social media which are causing distress to the deceased's family and those viewing them inadvertently.

Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!

Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.

You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.

No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.

All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in!

If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'.

We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like.

To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.

If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

"We would ask members of the public not to share them out of respect for his family, and to report them to the relevant social media platform to prevent further circulation. There has been a lot of speculation, and I would like to reassure the local community that this was an isolated incident and there is no risk to the wider public.

"This was a tragic incident. We are investigating a crash, and our road policing officers, assisted by local officers, are continuing to carry out enquiries. Anyone with concerns or any information which could assist the investigation should contact police."

We told yesterday how Guthrie Street, Candlemaker Road, and Blair Street were closed while officers investigated. Two forensic tents were set up within the cordon and road traffic officers were seen on site on Saturday night as officers began to piece together what happened.

Photographs shared on social media and sent to the Record were described as "horrific" and "gruesome" and revellers in pubs in the capital were locked in amid the drama. Katie McLaughlin, of Dumfries, told how she and pals in Bannerman's Bar had to leave via a back entrance as police had ordered the pub to be closed.

Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond. Sign up to our daily newsletter.

Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.