School bus full of kids falls into sinkhole in Van Nest
The tire of a school bus got stuck inside a hole on East 180th Street shortly before 2 p.m. on Wednesday.
A school bus became stuck in a large hole in the Van Nest section of the Bronx Tuesday afternoon, prompting a road closure and raising concerns from neighbors who say the roadway had been deteriorating for weeks.
The incident happened shortly before 2 p.m. near the intersection of East 180th Street and Bronx Park Avenue.
The Office of Emergency Management confirms 39 kids and 4 adults were on board the bus. They say the passengers were safely evacuated and taken to their destination.
The FDNY confirms one person was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
Officials have not yet confirmed what caused the collapse. Officials say the hole is six feet wide and three feet deep.
Some neighbors called it a sinkhole, while others said it began as a pothole that gradually worsened over time.
The bus appeared to be making a right turn from East 180th Street onto Bronx Park Avenue when its rear passenger-side tire became trapped in the hole.
The bus was later lifted out of the hole and towed away.
Residents who regularly travel through the area said the roadway issue had been visible for weeks and claimed traffic cones were the only warning drivers received.
“It’s scary for the kids,” one neighbor said. “You know, it’s really scary.”
Another resident said community members had repeatedly reported the issue.
“I heard people in the community called 311, but nobody responded,” the resident said. “No work has been done. It’s just a bunch of cones, and that’s not really preventing anything, is it?”
It remains unclear whether the bus caused the hole to collapse further or whether the roadway was already severely compromised before the vehicle became stuck.
The incident shut down East 180th Street for more than an hour before the roadway reopened to traffic.
News 12 confirmed the bus was not contracted by the New York City public school system. Representatives for the bus company and the city Department of Transportation have been contacted for additional information.
