Double-decker bus crash leaves 17 people injured

A crash between two double-decker buses close to a city centre has left 17 people needing hospital treatment.

Two Bee Network buses crashed on Rochdale Road off Livesey Street, Manchester, but no-one was seriously injured, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said.

Images show debris strewn across the highway as one of the vehicles appeared to have hit the back of the other.

Firefighters had to cut one person out of the upper deck and some of the injured were taken to hospital by bus.

Manchester councillor Pat Karney, who was at the site, posted on X to say there had been "unbelievable damage" to the front of the bus.

A recovery vehicle has taken away one of the damaged buses

Mr Karney told BBC Radio Manchester it was an "incredible amount of damage".

“It’s hard to work out what went on but it looks as though a bus went a great speed into another bus," he said.

"People don't wear seat belts on buses so they must have been traumatised."

The councillor called for an investigation into what happened on the busy city centre bus route.

An air ambulance also attended the site of the crash on Rochdale Road

Nine road ambulances, an air ambulance and two response vehicles got to the scene at about 08.34 GMT and also transported some of the injured to hospital, North West Ambulance Service said.

“Seventeen patients were taken to hospitals across Manchester, including seven on a bus accompanied by a paramedic," a spokesperson added.

Rochdale Road was shut between Livesey Street and Moorhead Street while emergency services were at the scene but has since reopened.

Stephen Rhodes from Transport for Greater Manchester said the public transport body was talking to emergency services.

"We want to wish any passengers who have been injured a speedy recovery," he said.