Residents have spoken of the “shocking” carnage left by a bus crash in Battersea which seriously injured five people.

The bus, carrying about 30 passengers, turned on its side at 8.30am this morning after colliding with a lorry carrying railway track.

Four passengers and a bus driver were taken to hospital by ambulance suffering serious injuries.

One mum-of-two, 45, said: “I saw some ladies being taken out of the bus and put in ambulances. The ladies were lying in stretchers covered up.

“I was crying, because I have never seen something happen like this.”

Kristi May, a 19-year-old student, added: “There was lots of smashed glass down there. Most of the injured people got rushed to hospital straight away. It’s not a nice thing to see.”

The accident, involving a C3 bus, happened in Plough Road at the junction with St John’s Hill.

When emergency teams arrived the bus was on its side, with the upper windows smashed.

There were very deep scratch marks running across one of the sides.

Mohammed Pervez, 43, a salesman, said: "It's awful. I saw the bus tilted on its side and a truck that looked like it was carrying large bars."

Richie Price, 42, a minicab controller, added: “I heard a big bang and the whole house moved. I was shocked when I found out what happened. The buses come down the hill at a pace, sometimes a bit too fast.”

The male driver of the lorry has been arrested in connection with the incident and is currently in custody.

Officers from the collision investigation unit at Hampton are investigating and forensic teams are examining the bus.

Sergeant Nathan Shickle said: “We think that it’s hit the bus rather than the load coming loose. All options are open at this stage.”

Police are waiting for updates on the victims’ conditions and have advised motorists to avoid the area.

The C3 bus is operated by the Abellio company.

Did you see the crash?

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