POLICE have confirmed a man has died after being struck by a bus in Edinburgh on Saturday evening and have urged people not to share “distressing” videos of the aftermath.
A 74-year-old man was hit by a single-decker bus on Saturday in the Cowgate area of the capital city at around 7.30pm.
Blair Street, Guthrie Street and Candlemaker Row were all closed to pedestrians and traffic while emergency services attended the scene.
Members of the public have been warned by police not to share any images or videos of the aftermath on social media as it is “causing distress to the deceased's family” and to those “viewing them inadvertently”.
It has been widely reportedly that videos circulating on social media showed graphic images of individuals handling what appeared to be a human head after the incident.
Police are also urging anyone who may have any information about the circumstances of the incident to come forward.
Sergeant Louise Birrell, Road Policing Unit in Edinburgh, said: “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, November 2, 2024.”
Chief Inspector Trisha Clark, the local area commander, 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.
“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.”
