On March 11, a double-decker bus in Zhengzhou, Henan Province mistakenly entered the underground tunnel ramp, resulting in the top of the upper deck being “shaved off”. The incident quickly became a hot topic online.
Video footage online showed the entire top of the double-decker bus being “shaved off”, with debris scattered on the road behind the bus, creating a chaotic scene at the site.
A nearby shop owner told Dafeng News that they heard a collision sound at the time, but it was not particularly loud. When they arrived at the scene later, the bus had already been towed away, and they did not see any fire trucks or ambulances present.
The shop owner mentioned that there were remnants of the bus roof near the tunnel entrance, but there were no reports of traffic jams or people stranded at the scene.
According to the official announcement from Zhengzhou Public Transport Group, at 9:34 a.m. on March 11, double-decker bus No. 14417 on route B12 entered the underground tunnel ramp at Zhongyuan Road (near Fushou Street), where the upper deck of the bus collided with the tunnel ceiling, causing damage to the vehicle. One passenger on the lower deck was frightened and sent to the hospital for observation but has since been discharged and returned home. The driver involved has been suspended from work and is cooperating with the investigation.
The incident sparked discussions among internet users. Some speculated, “Is this the first time a double-decker bus went through? Or did the tunnel sink?” “Did they forget about the height restriction?” “Maybe they used to drive single-decker buses and didn’t realize this time.”
On March 11, the topic of “Zhengzhou double-decker bus loses its roof due to exceeding height while passing through tunnel” trended on social media.
According to Zhejiang Economic TV, the authorities responded that the incident was caused by a newly employed female bus driver who was unfamiliar with the route and accidentally entered the restricted height section. The driver was supposed to travel on the road above the tunnel, but due to improper operation, the bus entered the restricted area, leading to the collision between the upper deck and the tunnel ceiling, causing the roof to be shaved off as a whole.