Roof ripped off packed tourist bus after it crashes into tree in central London
The roof of a packed tourist bus was ripped off when it crashed into a tree in central London this afternoon.
The cover of the bus, which witnesses said had been partly open-topped, was completely torn off in the collision in Bloomsbury.
Startled passengers were left sitting in the packed top deck with the detached roof resting up against the side.
Four people were taken to hospital while others were being treated nearby, according to early reports. The London Fire Brigade is currently working to lift one remaining passenger away from the upper deck.
The incident happened about lunch time in Woburn Place, close to Russell Square Tube station.
Craig Douglas, 28, said passengers were "hugging and consoling" each other after their "miraculous" escape.
The salesman from Essex, who witnessed the aftermath, said: "The roof was hanging off even though the branch really did not look big enough to do it; I don't know how it happened.
"Everyone was standing up and seemed rather okay. A few people were hugging and consoling each other.
"It looked miraculous that everyone got away, the whole roof was off and there was glass all over the floor."
The London Fire Brigade said crews were called at 1.12pm. Firefighters, ambulance workers and police remain at the scene.
A spokesman for LFB said: "It's a tourist bus in collision with a tree that's taken the roof off, so we're working with LAS down there at the scene at the moment."
