Several people have been injured after a bus crashed outside one of Britain’s busiest railway stations.
Emergency services rushed to Victoria Station, in London, earlier this morning following the rush-hour smash.
Terrified pedestrians screamed as the double-decker mounted the pavement and ploughed into a barrier before coming to a stop.
Authorities report that several individuals, including the driver of the route 24 bus, have been injured following an accident on Victoria Street, with some victims transported to the hospital.
There are currently no reported fatalities, the Metropolitan Police said.
No arrests have been made and an investigation has been launched, the force added.
Pictures of the carnage show a large number of emergency vehicles including police cars, ambulances and a fire engine.
The front of the crippled double-decker appears to have caved in from the force of the crash, with its windscreen suffering heavy damage.
Emergency services rushed to Victoria Station, in London, earlier this morning following the incident
The bus is said to have veered onto the sidewalk, causing injuries to pedestrians and passengers. According to emergency services, the driver along with several other people has been hospitalized.
The chaotic scene remains closed with all vehicles being diverted from the area, the Met said.
Emit Suker, 47, said: ‘It (the bus) was coming from Westminster – it was going really fast and came off the road.
‘There were about 15, 16 people inside the bus. People were screaming – it was terrible.’
Another eyewitness said: ‘I heard a massive crash – came outside and there was a woman on the floor with loads of people around her.
‘Lots of people from the gym had run out to help her.’
An employee at Reply Ltd, which overlooks the crash scene, said casualties had been treated inside their office building.
“I arrived roughly 10 minutes post-accident, and there was a sizeable presence of emergency personnel: two police vans, multiple police cars, and three fire engines,” a witness mentioned to the Telegraph.
“Currently, emergency workers are attending to the injured inside the building. The area is sealed off, and it seems there are substantial injuries,” the witness observed.
An employee at the Nova office building nearby remarked that “10 to 12 injured individuals are receiving treatment at one of our reception areas,” although he noted that their injuries “didn’t seem too severe.”
A trail of diesel running down Allington Street has forced police to ban smoking in the area over fears of an incident.
Pictures from the scene shown the vehicle, a route 24 bus, with a smashed front windscreen
A London Ambulance Service spokesman said: ‘We were called at 8.20am today to reports of a road traffic collision on Victoria Street, Westminster.
“We have deployed various resources to the location, including ambulance teams, advanced paramedics, a paramedic in a rapid response vehicle, a clinical team manager, an incident response leader, and a command support vehicle. Additionally, London’s Air Ambulance has been sent to the scene.”
‘The incident is ongoing and we are working with our emergency services partners.’
Flight tracking data shows the London Air Ambulance appeared to have landed in nearby St James’ Park.
Rosie Trew, TfL’s head of bus service delivery, said: ‘Our thoughts are with the people who have been injured following a bus incident at Victoria Street.
‘We are working with the police and the operator, Transport UK, to urgently investigate this incident.
‘This must have been a distressing incident for everyone involved and we have support available for anyone affected.’
Two pedestrians have been killed in bus crashes in Victoria in recent years.
Catherine Finnegan, 56, from County Galway, Ireland, died after she was hit by a double-decker bus at Victoria bus station in January last year.
In August 2021, Melissa Burr, 32, from Rainham, Kent, was killed at the station after bus driver Olusofa Popoola accidentally accelerated into the back of a stationary bus, shunting it into her.
Two other women have died in the same area of Victoria after being hit by a bus in recent years – Catherine Finnegan (left), 56, in January; and Melissa Burr (right), 32, in August 2021
Police and emergency service crews surround a bus that crashed into a pedestrian outside London Victoria Bus Station in January last year
Ms Burr was using a pedestrian walkway at the bus station and crossed towards the door of a 507 bus parked at its stop before she was hit.
Popoola, of Peckham, south-east London, admitted causing Ms Burr’s death by careless driving and said he had pressed the accelerator instead of the brake by mistake.
He was sentenced at the Old Bailey to 18 months imprisonment, suspended for two years.
Victoria bus station was closed in late 2023 for works designed to improve pedestrian safety and accessibility for partially sighted passengers.
Problems highlighted included an unconventional layout of pedestrian crossings, use of markings and a lack of tactile paving, as well as one crossing that directed pedestrians into a bus stop.
Anyone with information about today’s latest bus crash near Victoria Station is urged to contact police on 101, quoting ‘CAD 1605/4Sep’.
