The moments before a bus packed with terrified schoolchildren crashed into a shop this morning has been caught on CCTV.
A young girl suffered "severe injuries" after falling from the top of the stairs when the double-decker hit.
The girl, believed to be aged around 11 or 12, is said to be a Highams Park secondary school student who was just about to get off the bus when it crashed.
Another girl is also said to have been severely injured, according to eyewitnesses.
The CCTV shows as the red 212 London bus almost hits a woman as she crossed the road seconds before it hit an appliance shop, trapping the driver behind the wheel for almost half hour.
Eyewitnesses say they believe the driver "blacked out" shortly before the bus crossed an island in the road and smashed into the shop.
The clip, shared by cafe owner Eric Garip showed a pedestrian running to escape the path of the vehicle as it ploughed across a zebra crossing.
Waitress Tina Hogan, 58, said the woman had entered the Corner Cafe on The Broadway moments later "in an awful shock".
Ms Hogan said: "She was saying 'Oh my god, he nearly ran me over. I can't believe it. I had to run out of his way.'
"She was in an awful shock. I gave her a glass of water. She left after that."
Mr Garip helped with rescue efforts and said a number of schoolchildren were among the injured passengers found "scared and crying" inside the bus.
The 38-year-old said he rushed out of The Corner Cafe after hearing a "big bang" on the opposite side of the road and began trying to carry people out through the emergency door of the bus.
"There were a couple of kids on the floor," he said.
"We were trying to take the kids out and they were panicking. I spoke to the driver and said to come out, he said: 'I can't, I'm stuck'."
Mr Garip added: "Some parents were in the bus as well, crying.
"I tried to calm them but it was a big shock.
"We went upstairs and told the kids to come out but one was on the stairs so (we) were lifting them.
"It was very bad. They were all scared and crying."
Katriye Osman, who dialled 999 after hearing what sounded like a "really loud explosion", described what she saw as "traumatising".
Ms Osman, who witnessed the aftermath from outside her beauty salon, said around 50 or 60 schoolchildren were standing around the bus after it collided with the repairs shop.
"It was absolutely awful," she said.
"It happened so quickly but all I know is as it was going over it felt quite quick."
She added: "I'm really really shaken up by it. It was like a really really loud explosion. It was really traumatising."
Ms Osman said emergency services asked her to stay on the line and describe the scene to the operator as they raced to the scene and arrived within minutes of her call.
"It took about seven minutes for the first car to come," she said.
The London Ambulance Service confirmed 19 people were treated at the scene with three children and two adults being taken to hospital.
London mayor Sadiq Khan has described the incident at "terrible" and has said his thoughts are with anyone affected.
He tweeted: "I've received reports this morning of a bus crashing into a building in Highams Park in Waltham Forest.
"Emergency services are currently on the scene - we will share more information as soon as we have it.
"My thoughts are with everyone affected by this terrible incident."
