Stunned passengers feared "a bomb had gone off" while one was left covered in blood after a crash involving two double-decker buses.
At least 17 people were injured in the smash in Rochdale Road, Collyhurst, at about 8.30am today (Saturday). Among those hurt was Nathan Mansbridge, 33. He was on his way to attend a course in the city centre and was sitting at the back of one of the buses when he was startled by a loud "bang".
"All the glass came falling through," he said. "Everyone was panicking. People thought a bomb had gone off."
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The number 17 bus had pulled over at a bus stop to allow some passengers on board just moments before the collision. Mr Mansbridge said another bus then crashed into it from behind.
"It hit us with some force," he recalled. "It knocked us off the road. It all happened so fast, there was no warning.
"The crash was at the back so everyone tried to get to the front. It was chaos. There were women crying.
"There was a lady lying in the aisle. She had blood all over her. I don't know if she fell and hit herself. One young girl had a bust lip. The man next to me had cuts to his arms and hand from the smashed glass."
Stunned passengers desperately tried to get off the bus in the aftermath of the crash but found the aisle blocked by the injured woman, Mr Mansbridge said. He then opened the fire exit at the back of the bus before jumping off and helping other passengers to disembark.
Ms Mansbridge left the scene after police arrived and he attended his course as planned. However, he later attended hospital with suspected whiplash.
Pictures from the scene showed the front of one bus left completely mangled. At least one person on the upper deck of one of the buses was trapped and needed to be rescued by firefighters.
At least 17 people were injured and taken to hospital. None of their injuries are believed to be serious, according to Greater Manchester Police (GMP).
The cause of the incident remains unknown. Rochdale Road was closed near to the junction with Livesey Street for more than three hours as emergency services dealt with the aftermath of the smash.
In a statement issued this evening, a spokesperson for Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) said: "We can confirm that both buses involved in this morning’s collision were Bee Network services operated by Stagecoach. We will be assisting GMP with their investigation, and we are not yet in a position to provide any more information than that already issued by emergency services."
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) said: “At around 8.45am this morning (Saturday 9 November), two fire engines from Phillips Park and Broughton fire stations were called to a crash involving two buses on Rochdale Road, Manchester.
“Crews arrived quickly and worked with Greater Manchester Police and North West Ambulance Service to make the area safe. Firefighters extricated one person from the upper deck of the bus and13 casualties were transferred to North Manchester General Hospital under the care of North West Ambulance Service. Fire crews were in attendance for just over an hour."
A Greater Manchester Police (GMP) spokesperson said: "At 8.30am this morning we were called to reports of a road traffic collision between two buses on Rochdale Road, Manchester. No serious injuries have been reported."
