Manchester city centre road closed after bus crashes

Oxford Street in Manchester city centre has been taped off after a bus crashed into a central reservation.

The major road which runs through the city centre has been sealed off while police deal with the incident which happened this afternoon (Tuesday August 8th).

Oxford Street is currently closed in both directions due to the collision which happened between Whitworth Street and Portland Street, with traffic being diverted away from the area.

It is understood no one has been seriously hurt, although seven people have been taken to hospital with minor injuries.

Pictures show the badly damaged bus next to a central reservation, surrounded by smashed glass on the ground and a pole from a pelican crossing. 

Surrounding buses are being diverted while the crashed bus is being towed away and the area cleared.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) said in a tweet: “Due to an incident at Whitworth Street / Oxford Street, City Centre, bus services are diverted.

“Buses will divert via Princess Street / Charles Street in both directions.”

In a statement Greater Manchester Police said:  “Greater Manchester Police are responding to an ongoing road traffic collision in Manchester city centre.

“At around 12.35pm today (Tuesday 8 August 2023), officers responded to reports of a road traffic collision involving a bus on Whitworth Street in Manchester City Centre. Emergency services attended the scene and no serious injuries were reported.

“Initial enquiries suggested that a bus had collided with a central reservation on the junction with Oxford Street and Whitworth Street, emergency services are still in attendance, with the road currently closed as they continue to clear the road.”

Councillor Pat Karney tweeted: “This is one of the busiest and at times dangerous junctions in the city centre We will review the details of this serious accident to see what immediate lessons we can learn. We hope everyone is ok.”

A spokesperson for GMFRS said: “At approximately 12:35pm on Tuesday, August 8th, firefighters were called to reports of a road traffic collision on Oxford Street, in Manchester.

“Two fire engines from Gorton station quickly attended the scene. The collision involved a bus which had gone into some street furniture.

“Seven casualties were transferred to the care of colleagues from NWAS and conveyed to hospital. Firefighters used specialist equipment to make the scene safe and were in attendance for around 90 minutes.”