Emergency services were called after a double-decker bus struck the roof of a hotel in Manchester city centre.
Photographs taken by a witness at the scene and sent to the Manchester Evening News show the damage caused.
It's not thought there were any injuries.
The incident happened on New York Street in Manchester this afternoon.
The one-way street leads on to Portland Street.
The images show the bus appears to have clipped an overhanging roof of the Mercure Manchester Piccadilly Hotel as it drove by.
It's not known whether any passengers were on board at the time.
The witness said a saw was used to free the bus from the roof.
A crane can also be seen in the background in the images.
The witness claimed an office above was evacuated in the drama, which he said happened at around 3pm.
He said: "I only witnessed the aftermath.
"The bus was on New York Street heading to Portland Street.
"It seems to have struck the building.
"I didn't see this however I saw it being cut out of the building using a saw. It was then reversed out.
"It looked like the office above was evacuated as all the workers were outside with the bus.
"The bus driver then they drove the bus away from the scene."
The operation to release the bus is understood to have lasted several hours.
The bus involved was a V2 Vantage service, serving Manchester Royal Infirmary and the city's hospitals via the city centre.
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service was called.
Firefighters were seen to guide the bus out before it was driven away.
The images show the roof of the bus was damaged in the smash.
The top deck front window was also left cracked and smashed.
A spokesperson for First Manchester said: “Our staff attended the scene to support the recovery of the vehicle and provide any assistance.
"We are pleased that no passengers were injured and our driver was unhurt. We are investigating how this incident occurred and will assist the police with any enquiries.”
