A double-decker bus had its roof sliced clean off during this morning’s rush hour in County Durham.
The bus had been transporting a group of 6th form students who were on their way to college. The double-deckers roof collided with a low railway bride shortly before 9am this morning, close to the town’s football club.
12 people, including the bus driver, were taken to hospital although it’s not thought any of them had sustained serious injuries, however one student was reported to have sustained a broken collar bone, and another was taken to hospital with head injuries.
Witnesses described hearing screams coming from the bus after the vehicle made contact with the bridge. The bus didn’t stop immediately after making contact with the bridge, and continued to travel a short way underneath, with the roof being ripped off as it went.
The double-decker bus has the capacity to carry 80 passengers, and it’s believed the bus was almost full when the collision occurred.
The railway bridge was shut for several hours with train services being halted as engineers worked to ensure the bridge was safe for normal services to resume.
Fire crews and ambulances were sent to the scene to assist in the recovery. 12 passengers and the driver were taken to hospital, while a second bus was sent to transport the uninjured passengers to the nearby college.
