Eyewitnesses described several lucky escapes after a bus carrying nine nursery schoolchildren smashed into parked cars on East Broadway before ploughing into a utility pole.

Eight people were injured, including two visitors and a few children. None was hurt seriously.

The impact caused an explosion of sparks, sending live wires into the street and knocking out power in the vicinity.

Persons at the scene said the children, from Warwick Preschool, were left with some bumps and cuts. The school’s administrator contacted parents immediately, and most returned to the school. They had been coming back from a trip to the National Gallery and Bermuda Society of Arts at the time of the crash. Teacher Linnal Simons, who was accompanying the students, was commended by acting commissioner of education Freddie Evans for capably handling the situation.

A frantic parent said she had been “petrified” after being diverted toward the scene to help only to realise that her 32-year-old daughter and four-year-old granddaughter were on board the crashed bus.

“They were inside and couldn’t get out,” she said. “We were trying to break the window with a fire extinguisher. I didn’t know if the bus was going to explode. I was horrified wondering if this bus was going to blow up with my children on it.”

She said the fact that people on board were unable to open the emergency window was “something that needs to be addressed”.

Witnesses described the no. 8 bus exiting Spurling Hill at speed, clipping the side of a car parked by the store Great Things, hitting a second parked vehicle and pushing its more than 30 feet into two others.

“It was like a domino effect,” said plumber Eugene Smith, who was driving into Hamilton when he saw the bus lose control.

Mr Smith and others pulled over to walk around downed wires and help children off the bus. He said the driver, a woman, was in shock, with the engine still running.

Parents and teachers were on board, along with children. Passengers sheltered in nearby RenaissanceRe, while all traffic on East Broadway was closed off.

Office staff said a woman had been about to get into her car after using the RenaissanceRe gym, just before it was struck.

For 84-year-old Thelma Wilson and her son, Leroy “Curly” Wilson, it was an especially close call: Mr Wilson’s was the first car hit, as the two returned to it after leaving the store with their shopping.

“I am fine, just shook up,” Mrs Wilson said.

“I have torn my blouse, my glasses are gone and my purse was under the bus.” She said she pushed up against the wall to avoid the falling wires.

Another motorist said the impact was strong enough to send coverings dropping off nearby street lights.

“I saw the bus come down the hill and hit a car, swerve out, then go back in and hit the other car and knocked it into the pole,” he said.

“Sparks and fire came off. All those cars hit, one after the other.

“We jumped out of our cars — everybody was kind of timid at first, because of the sparks. Then we went to get the children off.”

Initially about 40 Belco customers were left without electricity.

The damage, which included underground lines, was being repaired by evening, with a new pole put in place while a crane was brought to remove the badly damaged bus.

Lunch hour traffic was backed up in many areas. Spurling Hill was closed all afternoon, and no incoming vehicles were allowed through Crow Lane.

The Bermuda Police Service are asking for anyone who has information on the crash to contact Pc Mervin Homer on 295-0011.