Peterborough crash: 13 hurt as guide dog charity office hit by bus Published duration 24 December 2015

media caption Alexander Caruso, who was on the bus, describes what happened

At least 13 people were hurt when a bus hit the offices of a guide dog charity after a collision involving a car.

The single-decker crashed near Peterborough city centre at about 11:43 GMT, Cambridgeshire Police said.

There were no fatalities and all the casualties had what were described as minor injuries. Nobody in the building was hurt.

Stagecoach confirmed one of its buses had been in the crash with a car. The road was cordoned-off near Church Walk.

image copyright Cambridgeshire Fire & Rescue Service image caption The bus demolished the front wall and bay window of the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association's regional office, just north of Peterborough city centre

The East of England Ambulance Service said seven patients were taken to Peterborough City Hospital with a variety of minor injuries, including a female car driver in her 50s and her female passenger.

The other five - four women and one man - were passengers on the bus.

Two people were treated at the minor injuries unit and four were discharged at the scene.

image copyright City Resource Ltd image caption Thirteen people were treated for minor injuries, but none of the three people inside the building were injured

image copyright Mo Waljii image caption A passenger described how the bus started braking and veered away from other cars

A Stagecoach spokesman said: "At around mid-day today (24 December) a car was involved in a collision with one of our buses on Broadway, Peterborough.

"Our first thoughts are for the welfare of those involved.

"Safety is our highest priority and we will assist police fully with their inquiries into the incident."

'Miracle'

Alex Caruso, who was a passenger on the bus, said: "We didn't see where the car was coming from.

"The bus driver started braking and veered away from other cars and came to a stop in the building, but to avoid any other people and cars was a miracle."

Tahir Hussain, manager at a nearby building, said: "A few of the passengers came out of the bus with bloody noses and whiplash.

"Some of them came in and we offered them cups of tea and coffee.

"Then we were evacuated because of a suspected gas leak so we all just left."

A spokesman for the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association said three people were in its regional office building, but none had been injured and no dogs were inside.

The front bay window of the office was demolished by the bus. Engineers were assessing the damage to the structure of the building and the gas supply has been isolated.

image copyright City Resource Ltd image caption Workers clear up in the aftermath of the crash on Christmas Eve afternoon