A London bus has smashed into the front of a shop, leaving the driver trapped for around half an hour and multiple people 'walking wounded'.
Emergency crews rushed to the scene at Highams Park, in north London earlier this morning.
Photos and video from the scene show a number 212 bus crashed into the front of an appliance shop as emergency services work around it.
The London Ambulance Service confirmed 19 people were treated at the scene with three children and two adults being taken to hospital.
London mayor Sadiq Khan has described the incident at "terrible" and has said his thoughts are with anyone affected.
One witness on Twitter believes the driver remained trapped for around half an hour and said schoolchildren are likely to have been travelling on the bus on their way to lessons.
The owner of a local cafe who helped with rescue efforts said a number of schoolchildren were among the injured passengers found "scared and crying" inside the bus.
Eric Garip, 38, said he rushed out of The Corner Cafe after hearing a "big bang" on the opposite side of the road and began trying to carry people out through the emergency door of the bus.
"There were a couple of kids on the floor," he said.
"We were trying to take the kids out and they were panicking. I spoke to the driver and said to come out, he said: 'I can't, I'm stuck'."
Mr Garip added: "Some parents were in the bus as well, crying.
"I tried to calm them but it was a big shock.
"We went upstairs and told the kids to come out but one was on the stairs so (we) were lifting them.
"It was very bad. They were all scared and crying."
Katriye Osman, who dialled 999 after hearing what sounded like a "really loud explosion", described what she saw as "traumatising".
Ms Osman, who witnessed the aftermath from outside her beauty salon, said around 50 or 60 schoolchildren were standing around the bus after it collided with the repairs shop.
"It was absolutely awful," she said.
"It happened so quickly but all I know is as it was going over it felt quite quick."
She added: "I'm really really shaken up by it. It was like a really really loud explosion. It was really traumatising."
Ms Osman said emergency services asked her to stay on the line and describe the scene to the operator as they raced to the scene and arrived within minutes of her call.
"It took about seven minutes for the first car to come," she said.
Ms Osman praised the community response to the collision, saying "everyone worked together" to get children to safety.
Station Commander Dave Hill said: "Firefighters used specialist cutting equipment to release the driver of the bus.
"Crews made the scene safe and have carried out a systematic search of the building to ensure there are no other casualties trapped."
He added there were some people "walking wounded" who were treated at the scene, while the driver has been taken to hospital.
A Met Police spokeswoman said: "At approximately 8.20ham on Tuesday, 25 January police were called to reports of a bus in collision with a shop in Selwyn Avenue, E4.
"Officers and London Ambulance Service are on scene.
"A number of people have reported suffering injuries and are being treated at the scene.
"Road closures remain in place around the junction of Selwyn Avenue and Winchester Road.
"Enquiries into the circumstances remain ongoing."
A London Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: “We were called at 8.19am this morning (25 January) to reports of an incident involving a bus on The Broadway, Highams Park.
“We sent a number of resources to the scene including ambulance crews, advanced paramedics, paramedics in fast response cars, incident response officers and members of our Hazardous Area Response Team (HART).
"We also dispatched a trauma team from London’s Air Ambulance.
“The incident is ongoing and we are working with our emergency service colleagues.”
A spokeswoman from London's Air Ambulance Charity said: "Our advanced trauma team was dispatched via rapid response vehicle by London Ambulance Service at 08:35 on Tuesday 25th January to reports of a road traffic collision in the Highams Park area.
"After treatment on scene the patient was transferred by road to a major trauma hospital, accompanied by London's Air Ambulance”.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said his thoughts were with those affected by the "terrible" incident.
He tweeted: "I've received reports this morning of a bus crashing into a building in Highams Park in Waltham Forest.
"Emergency services are currently on the scene - we will share more information as soon as we have it.
"My thoughts are with everyone affected by this terrible incident."
MP Iain Duncan Smith tweeted: "Thank you to the first responders and emergency teams at the scene.
"My thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected.
"A number of people have reported suffering injuries and are being treated at the scene."
Transport for London’s director of buses, Louise Cheeseman, said: “Our thoughts are with everyone involved in the bus collision in Highams Park this morning.
"We have support available to anyone affected by this incident and a full investigation is underway.”
