Five people hospitalised after bus crashes into block of flats in Paisley

Driver among those taken to hospital as windows reportedly smashed to rescue passengers

A bus has crashed into a block of flats in Paisley (Sky News screengrab)

Five people have been hospitalised after a bus crashed into a block of high-rise flats in Paisley.

The emergency services rushed to the scene at Hamilton Court, in Calside, shortly after midday on Wednesday.

Drivers were urged to avoid the area, as nearby roads were closed off and emergency vehicles responded to the crash.

Images and news footage from the scene showed some damage to the front of the bus and smashed windows, with its front door appearing crushed shut as the vehicle remained pressed into the outer wall of the multi-storey property.

The driver was among five people taken to hospital by ambulance crews, according to McGill’s Buses, which said it remained too early to know what had caused the accident.

A spokesperson said: “At this stage it is too early to know what caused the accident but McGill’s personnel have been in attendance and are working with police on the post-incident investigation and will continue to do so in the days ahead.”

One local resident described going to help those caught up in the crash after they heard it from their home, and said he and his sister were shocked to see the bus had crashed into the flats.

“The people on the bus were all a bit dazed and confused so we just tried to calm them down. I think they’ll all be okay in the end,” he told BBC Scotland News.

“Me and my sister jumped onto the bus through the windows to see if we could help calm people down.”

“We couldn’t get the people off the bus because the doors were buckled but we made sure they were all sitting down until the emergency services got here,” he added.

Another local resident told the broadcaster: “A car crashed into the building a few years ago too, it’s a bad bit of road.”

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Police Scotland said in a statement: “Emergency services are in attendance following a report of a crash involving a bus on Calside, Paisley which happened around 12.20pm on Wednesday, 13 March, 2024.

“Five people have been taken to hospital for treatment and enquiries are ongoing.

“​A number of road closures are in place including Calside Avenue, Polsons Crescent, Craw Road and Alexandra Gate. Drivers are asked to avoid the area.”