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2 critically injured and 30 hurt after bus slams into tree

Nightmare on the number 59: two people have been left in critical condition and 30 injured as London bus crashes into tree 

A number 59 double-decker bus collided with a tree in Kennington, South London, leaving 2 fighting for their lives and 30 hurt. The accident happened near the Imperial War Museum before 11am today.

The bus swerved to avoid another vehicle before hitting the tree. Emergency crews had to use cutting equipment to gain access to one side of the vehicle because the tree was embedded in the front of the bus. They managed to release two people who were trapped. 

Jesse Fox, one of the passengers on board, said: “I was on the top deck and luckily I was three seats from the back. We were going along at a fairly normal speed and I heard people shout, and I could see out of my right hand window that it was swerving to avoid a car.”

He added that he then heard people shout louder, until he looked up and saw the tree crash through the front of the bus. He said: “Most people on the top deck were fine but for the people at the front, it looked pretty bad.

“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.”

Fox described one trapped passenger, saying: “It looked like his legs and ribs were trapped. He was two seats from the front.” He added: “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.”

Chief Superintendent Glyn Jones said it is not yet clear what caused the crash. 

London Ambulance Service said it has treated 32 people, 7 of whom were seriously hurt. The road is currently closed in both directions, and the routes 3, 59, 159, and 360 are on diversion. 

 

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