On Monday 21 July 2025 at around 3 pm BST, a number 100 double‑decker Bee Network bus collided with the Bridgewater Canal Aqueduct on Barton Lane in Eccles, Greater Manchester. The impact sheared off the entire upper deck of the vehicle and ejected a passenger from the top floor, leaving 20 people injured in total – three of whom (a 19‑year‑old woman and two men, aged in their 20s and 40s) sustained serious injuries and remain in hospital in stable condition, while 17 others were treated at the scene for non‑life‑threatening wounds (Sky News, The Guardian).

A major incident was declared by the North West Ambulance Service, which dispatched ten emergency ambulances, advanced paramedics, the Hazard Area Response Team and the North West Air Ambulance to the scene. Emergency crews worked to stabilise casualties both on the roadway and inside the mangled wreckage, before transporting the most severely hurt to nearby hospitals (Sky News).

Greater Manchester Police confirmed that the bus had deviated from its scheduled route and that the driver, a man in his 50s, ignored multiple height‑restriction warnings (including hanging chains and prominent signage) before colliding with the low‑level aqueduct. He was arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by careless driving and has since been bailed pending further investigation (The Guardian, Sky News).

The force’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit is appealing for anyone who witnessed the crash, or who may have captured dashcam, doorbell or mobile‑phone footage in the moments leading up to the collision, to come forward. Information can be provided via GMP’s LiveChat on their website or by calling 0161 856 4741, quoting log number 1561 of 21/07/2025. Alternatively, details can be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 (Salford Now).

Footage captured by a doorbell camera showed passengers ducking instinctively as the bus’s roof was ripped away. Eyewitness Szymon Hundz described hearing a loud, “explosion‑like” sound, then rushing downstairs with his partner to help bleeding victims, bringing chairs, water and makeshift medical supplies until paramedics arrived. Local resident Stacey Morley noted that this was “the third or fourth time” a bus had struck the same canal bridge, calling the section “a tragedy waiting to happen” (www.ndtv.com, Yahoo News UK).

Indeed, for the fourth time in just over five years, a double‑decker’s roof has been torn off at this exact spot, prompting questions about why repeated warnings and physical height barriers have not been sufficient to prevent such crashes (Yahoo News UK).

Greater Manchester’s transport commissioner, Vernon Everitt, expressed his sympathy for the injured and praised the emergency responders for their swift action. He confirmed that Transport for Greater Manchester and bus operator Stagecoach have launched urgent inquiries into the circumstances of the crash, including how the vehicle came to be off its designated route, and pledged to work closely with the police investigation team (www.ndtv.com).

As structural engineers assess the integrity of the Bridgewater Canal Aqueduct and clean‑up crews remove the wreckage, local campaigners are calling for more robust safety measures—such as physical height barriers, improved GPS route‑planning safeguards and real‑time onboard alerts—to ensure that this stretch of Barton Lane does not claim more victims. Support services have been made available to passengers and their families, and the bus operator has issued a formal apology, vowing full cooperation with all ongoing investigations.

We’re deeply sorry to everyone who endured fear, pain, and disruption because of this crash. Our thoughts are with the injured as you heal, and with your families and friends for the distress you’ve all faced.

Photos courtesy of @pundit_jay (X).