LONDON – Seventeen people were injured after a route 24 bus mounted the pavement near Victoria station in central London on Thursday morning, leaving scenes of chaos and panic in one of the city’s busiest areas.

The incident occurred at around 8:20 a.m. on Victoria Street. According to the Metropolitan Police, 15 people, including the bus driver, passengers, and pedestrians, were rushed to hospital. Fortunately, none of the injuries are believed to be life-threatening. Two others were treated at the scene.

Images showed the front of the double-decker bus heavily damaged, with its windscreen shattered. Witnesses described hearing a loud crash followed by screams.

“There were about 15, 16 people inside the bus. People were screaming – it was terrible,” said Emit Suker, 47.

Another eyewitness reported: “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.”

A trail of diesel spillage on Allington Street forced police to issue a temporary ban on smoking in the area, citing safety concerns.

The crash is now under investigation, with no arrests made at this stage.

The incident comes against a troubling backdrop: two pedestrians have been killed in separate bus crashes near Victoria in recent years. In January 2024, Catherine Finnegan, 56, from County Galway, Ireland, died after being struck by a double-decker bus at Victoria bus station.