Eight people have been taken to hospital after a double decker bus crashed into a railway bridge tearing its roof off in Kilmarnock.

Emergency services were called to the collision on Macphail Drive, near Culzean Crescent, in Kilmarnock at about 14:00 and police sealed off the area.

Footage of the scene posted on social media showed people standing on top of the roofless bus near the bridge, which is marked for vehicles below a certain height.

It comes just days after another double decker bus crashed into a railway bridge in Glasgow, leaving one man critical in hospital.





A spokesperson for the Scottish Ambulance Service confirmed one ambulance and three response teams were dispatched to the scene at 13:55.

Police Scotland later confirmed eight people had been taken to hospital in total, though there were no reports of serious injuries.

A spokesperson for the force said inquiries into the crash were ongoing.

The number six Stagecoach bus, which was heading to Bellfield in Kilmarnock, travelled under the bridge at Macphail Drive.

The roof of the bus was completely torn off and remained behind while the vehicle passed through the tunnel.

A sign near the bridge states it is not suitable for vehicles over 8ft 3ins (2.5m) high.

A teenager who was on the top deck of the bus said he was still in shock after the incident. He said there were about 11 teenagers on the upper level.

He told BBC Scotland News: "We were supposed to take a right but the bus driver took a completely different route and went under the railway bridge, which we're not supposed to do. The bus was going at some speed, about 30 or 40mph. The driver was hitting the brakes the whole way through and the whole roof of the bus got taken off. It just got crushed and glass went everywhere, I can feel the glass on me.  People on the bus knew it was going to happen before it happened. It was really scary."

The boy said he was not badly injured, but he had a sore neck and scratches from the smashed glass. "I can't explain the sound, it was like a massive crashing sound all the way through the bridge," he added. "And then hearing all the glass falling and feeling it, it was horrible."

Joshua Hollywood, who lives opposite the bridge, said people in the area came out to help those on the bus.  He said: "There was a couple of people injured, nothing too bad thank god. A few cuts and scrapes. The kids were pretty shook up but the ambulances got here pretty promptly. People from across the road, everyone that was in the area, all came out to try and help the kids that were in danger."

A Stagecoach West Scotland spokesperson confirmed the bus had struck a low bridge.  They said investigations were ongoing and the bus company was working closely with police.


The vehicle was later removed from the scene

ScotRail confirmed that no rail services are affected.

Network Rail engineers inspected the bridge - a spokesperson later said it had not sustained any structural damage.