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London bus crash leaves two people critically injured London bus crash leaves two people critically injured
(about 2 hours later)
Two people, including a 19-year-old woman, are in a critical condition after a bus crashed into a tree in Kennington, south London. Two people, including a 19-year-old woman, are in a critical condition and 30 others injured after a bus smashed into a tree on a London street.
Police, ambulance and fire crews are on the scene of the crash, in which around 30 passengers are said to have been injured. The number 59 double-decker bus swerved to avoid another vehicle before colliding with the tree in Kennington, south London.
Two casualties were trapped for two hours on the top deck of the bus before being freed by firefighters, using cutting equipment, at around 1pm. The tree tore through the front of the bus, pinning two bloodied passengers to their seats for two hours before they were eventually cut free by firefighters. Paramedics said the two had suffered "very serious leg injuries" and were in a critical condition in hospital.
A tree was embedded in the front of the bus and emergency crews were using specialist equipment to gain access to one side of the vehicle. Two uniformed police officers were on board when the bus crashed, one of whom suffered a suspected broken arm. An air ambulance was dispatched to the scene to help deal with 32 casualties, including 25 walking wounded and five with serious injuries.
The No 59 double-decker "swerved to avoid another vehicle and struck a tree" at around 10.50am, Transport for London's director for buses, Mike Weston, said. "This was a particularly nasty crash and our crews worked extremely hard in very challenging circumstances to get the passengers off the bus," said London Fire Brigade station manager Clive Robinson.
He added: "The incident took place on Kennington Road near the Imperial War Museum, SE1. "We used ladders to get some of the people out and in the case of the final two passengers trapped on the top deck crews had to shore up the upper floor which had started to collapse before using specialist cutting gear to release them. The man and woman were then lowered to the ground on a stretcher by firefighters on a turntable ladder."
"Our first concern is, of course, for the driver, passengers and others involved in this incident and we can confirm the emergency services are in attendance. There will be a thorough investigation into this incident as a matter of urgency." Jesse Fox, an actor from north London, was on the top deck of the bus and described the tree crashing through the front windows, pinning two passengers in their seats. He said: "The tree came basically right through the front, into the seats. The whole front of the bus was trashed. I think a lot of the people on the lower deck – injured and not injured – got off very quickly because the doors were opened very quickly.
The final passenger to be cut free appeared to be sitting on the second row from the front of the top deck of the bus, according to an eyewitness. "The 15 or so of us on the top deck who hadn't been seriously injured were on there for about 10 minutes. The emergency services got there really quickly and put up a ladder and we climbed down, apart from the people who were really seriously injured.
"There was one guy who seemed like he was trapped. It looked like his legs and ribs were trapped. He was two seats from the front. The woman who was one seat from the front, all I could see was the back of her head, but she was badly trapped.
"She was caught between the tree and the bus, which was caved in. They were both bleeding."
"The bus just doesn't look like a bus. The whole front is smashed," said Josh Tutt, a worker in the area. "A tree is slanting through the bus, going through the front left door and it goes up through the roof.""The bus just doesn't look like a bus. The whole front is smashed," said Josh Tutt, a worker in the area. "A tree is slanting through the bus, going through the front left door and it goes up through the roof."
Tutt told the Guardian that shocked passengers were being treated by paramedics at the scene. "I've seen lots of people being taken out of the bus. I didn't see anything overly serious but there was one man trapped on the top deck. He couldn't move and he had an oxygen mask on," he said. Tutt said that shocked passengers were being treated by paramedics at the scene. "I've seen lots of people being taken out of the bus. I didn't see anything overly serious but there was one man trapped on the top deck. He couldn't move and he had an oxygen mask on," he said.
"He was on the second row. There was a load of paramedics around him and all the other passengers were removed. I think they're all shocked. They were all sitting near the bus on chairs that people had given them to use. I don't know what happened to the driver." "He was on the second row. There were a load of paramedics around him and all the other passengers were removed. I think they're all shocked. They were all sitting near the bus on chairs that people had given them to use. I don't know what happened to the driver."
A man with a bloodied head was seen being put on to an ambulance and emergency crews were using a cherry-picker to gain access to the back of the bus.A man with a bloodied head was seen being put on to an ambulance and emergency crews were using a cherry-picker to gain access to the back of the bus.
Scotland Yard said at 1pm that there was no fatality "at this stage" and that there had been no arrest. A spokesman for the London Ambulance service said it had been treating around 30 patients at the scene. Fire crews used ladders to remove people and seats from the top of the back of the bus. One onlooker said the driver was trapped inside.
The front of the bus, which was heading to King's Cross, was crumpled against a tree near the Ship pub on Kennington Road. Lee Hyett-Powell, a duty station officer at London Ambulance service, said: "There were a large number of patients for our staff to care for but all of the emergency services worked well together to ensure that they were assessed and treated as quickly as possible.
Fire crews used ladders to remove people and seats from the top of the back of the bus. One onlooker said the driver was trapped inside. London fire brigade said two people had been trapped. "We worked with the fire brigade to get to the two patients who were trapped on the upper deck. They had suffered the most serious injuries and were trapped on the bus for around two hours. We treated and stabilised them while they were being released before taking them to hospital."
A spokesman said: "Four fire engines are on the scene from Soho, Westminster and Lambeth fire stations. London ambulance service, the air ambulance and the Metropolitan police are also at the scene."
Firefighters were called out at 10.52am and four engines went to the scene.
A London ambulance service spokesman said: "We were called at 10.50am to reports of a road traffic accident involving a bus and a tree. We have a number of staff at the scene. A single vehicle responded, an ambulance and a London air ambulance remain at the scene."
The road is currently closed in both directions with routes 3, 59, 159 and 360 on diversion. The vehicle was operated by Arriva.
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