A school girl was seriously injured yesterday when a school van was involved in a traffic accident at the Sta Venera bypass, the police said.

The other passengers, aged between five and 10, and the driver were unharmed but were taken to Mater Dei Hospital in an ambulance to be treated for shock and released shortly afterwards.

The 27-year-old female driver of the van was transporting 14 girls, most of whom attend St Dorothy's School, in Sliema. The police said the accident occurred at about 7 a.m. when the driver lost control of the vehicle just outside the tunnel on the bypass, on the way to St Julians, and hit a pole.

Until the situation on the bypass returned to normal, drivers were asked to use alternative roads.

Police investigations were still underway yesterday.