A SCHOOL bus has smashed into a row of houses after careering off a road.

Emergency services raced to Sweethill Terrace in Coatbridge shortly after 3pm today.

Glasgow Times:

There were no children on board the bus,Ā branded with company logo JMB Travel.

Whether any residents were at home when the crash happened is also unknown.

Moira Niven said: "I came home from work and had no idea what happened until I saw all the blue flashing lights.Ā 

"My neighbour said the kids had been dropped off before the crash so I hope that's the case because it doesn't bear thinking about what would happen if they had been on that bus.Ā 

A dog walker who asked not to be named said: "I had just got in the door when I heard a big smash.Ā 

"I honestly didn't think anything of it until my wife came home about an hour later.Ā 

"It's awful. It's quite a busy street and because it comes off a national speed limit road people tend to really hit the gas.

"I've seen a few crashes before but nothing like this."

Another man added: "It was likeĀ something out a Jason Bourne movie. It just smashed through the garden wall. It's a lot of wee old folks on that street as well so must've given them a fright."

A Police Scotland spokesman said: "We recieved reports of a bus and vehicle appearing to collideĀ before the bus collided into a house.

"Drivers of both vehicles were treated for injuries at the scene and there were no pupils on board at the time of the incident."

Glasgow Times:

A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman said: "This is an ongoing incident. We are making the scene safe."

The road is currently closed while investigations are under way.

A spokeswoman for North Lanarkshire Council said the bus, which is operated by SPT, had dropped all pupils off before the accident happened.

Glasgow Times: