More than 20 passengers, including a pregnant woman, had a lucky escape yesterday afternoon when their bus hit a wall and toppled over.

The Government bus was heading down the hill in South Road, Paget, when it appeared to lose control on the wet road.

It crashed into a two-foot high wall and lurched over the side, coming to rest on its left hand side at a 45 degree angle.

Windows on the left of the bus smashed as the vehicle became entangled with trees, which appear to have stopped it toppling over completely.

Between 20 and 30 people were on board, and fire crews got them out through an emergency escape window. The eight-months pregnant woman was stretchered out of the stricken vehicle.

She and the bus driver, who have not yet been named, were taken to the King Edward VII Hospital, although neither were thought to be injured. Both were said to be badly shaken.

A passenger on board at the time of the crash, at about 4.30 p.m., Mr. Henry Eugene Tucker, 51, said the bus was going at only about 15 mph.

The former bus driver said: "The bus went out of control, hit the wall and jumped. I think the driver did a good job, saving people's lives.'' He said the passengers remained calm throughout the ordeal and kept their seats when the bus came to a standstill.

"It all happened so fast,'' said Mr. Tucker, who was with his 16-year-old son, Eugene, sitting on the left hand side of the bus. "It must have been over in less than 10 seconds.'' "It went over the wall and turned slowly. I knew the trees would stop it from going further, but they smashed the windows.'' An investigation into the accident has been launched by both the Police and the Public Transportation Board, which operates the bus.

The officer in charge at the scene last night, Insp. Stanley Hill, said it had been raining for some time before the crash. He added the bus driver would be interviewed.

"The passengers were quite lucky. The pregnant lady and the driver were not injured, but were badly shaken.'' A Police spokesman added: "The bus was travelling down South Road. On a sharp right hand bend, near the Coral Beach Club, the bus lost control and went over the embankment.'' Three other accidents also happened yesterday as the rain fell. There were two accidents on Middle Road, Devonshire, at 5.10 p.m. and 5.25 p.m.. A third accident happened on Wilkinson Avenue at 4.45 p.m.

It is not yet known if anyone was injured.