In an incident that was surely terrifying for all involved, a bus appeared to underestimate its size and crashed into a light rail overpass in South Melbourne Monday morning, leaving passengers trapped.
The incident occurred at 10:25 a.m. AEDT, the Victoria Police told Mashable Australia in an emailed statement. The 15 people on board were freed from the wreckage within one hour by emergency services.
Passengers from the crash were fortunate to have only "minor injuries," Commander Andrew O'Connell from the Metropolitan Fire Brigade told reporters Monday.
Those on board suffered mainly cuts and abrasions, although more injuries may be revealed in hospital. O'Connell said fire crews used emergency tools to push up the bus roof, allowing many of the travellers to climb out of the wreckage.
"The height of the rail bridge was just above their head height, which has significantly contributed to a good outcome," O'Connell said. Passengers also ducked and closed their eyes as the top of the bus hit the bridge, avoiding trouble.
Authorities are yet to establish why the bus crashed into the low bridge, although O'Connell suggested it was likely the result of "driver error." He said Victoria Police will speak to the driver, who is currently in hospital receiving treatment.
