A bus driver has been arrested after a double-decker collided with an aqueduct in Greater Manchester, seriously injuring three people and tearing off the vehicle's top deck. The crash occurred on Monday afternoon when the bus struck the Bridgewater Canal Aqueduct on Barton Lane in Eccles.
A 19-year-old woman and two men, one in his twenties and another in his forties, remain in hospital with serious injuries but are all in a stable condition. One passenger was ejected from the top deck as the roof was torn off during the collision.
Driver arrested on suspicion
The bus driver, a man in his fifties, was arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by careless driving and has since been bailed pending further investigations. Police believe the bus had come off its expected route and height restriction warnings, including hanging chains and signage, had not been complied with before the crash.
Seventeen other casualties were treated at the scene for injuries following the incident. Emergency services were called at about 3pm on Monday to reports of the collision.
Major incident declared
North West Ambulance Service declared a major incident and dispatched ten emergency ambulances, advanced paramedics and the Hazard Area Response Team, along with North West Air Ambulance. Greater Manchester Police's Serious Collision Investigation Unit has appealed for anyone who witnessed the incident or has footage to come forward.
The force is particularly interested in dashcam, mobile phone or doorbell footage of the crash. Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 0161 856 4741 quoting log number 2226 of 21/07/2025.
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
