A major collision between two buses in Manhattan left dozens of passengers injured, 36 of them rushed to area hospitals Thursday night.
Fire department officials said two buses, an MTA bus and a double-decker tour bus, crashed near East 23rd Street and 1st Avenue around 7 p.m.
The total patient count was still fluctuating, but officials say that a total of 46 people were injured -- with 36 people hospitalized and 10 people treated at the scene and then released.
None of the injuries to anyone involved appeared to be life-threatening, they added.
Efforts to rescue people on board the tour bus were made difficult by the size of the bus, FDNY officials said at a media briefing. People had to be pulled out of windows and removed from the upper deck with the help of a ladder.
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The majority of the injuries seemed to be cuts, bruises and scrapes. Some may have had possible fractures.
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"The bus driver of the tour has been transported for evaluation, but he is not the most serious injury," Deputy Chief Paul Hopper said.
That driver, police and MTA officials say, ran a red light immediately before the crash. The driver is expected to receive a summons.
Transit president Richard Davey said the MTA took statements from people on the tour bus who said the bus operator was driving erratically before the crash.
