Score of people injured in collision between motorcycle and bus in Barcelona

A road accident involving a motorcycle, two buses and a taxi in central Barcelona left over a score of people injured on Thursday morning, one of them seriously.

The collision between the motorcycle and the Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona bus took place around 10am, where Espanya square meets Paral·lel avenue.

With the bus braking so suddenly, another bus then crashed into the first one, causing 23 injuries among the passengers on both vehicles.

Although the injuries to the passengers were not serious, eight people were taken to hospital, with the other 16 receiving attention at the site of the accident

However, after being rescued from under one of the buses by firefighters, the motorcyclist was evaluated by the ambulance service and discovered to have serious injuries.

A senior local police officer said the accident's cause is likely human error, and that despite a broken leg and an open wound, the motorcyclist could have been more seriously hurt.

Espanya square is one of Barcelona's busiest in terms of traffic, as it connects the center with major roads entering the city and is a spot where a number of bus lines converge.

The square is also a key destination in the city, as it is next to Montjuïc mountain, a popular tourist site and home to the Catalan capital's largest convention complex, Fira Barcelona.