It took fire and emergency services nearly two hours to rescue a woman who had been trapped beneath a bus wreckage in Durban on Tuesday.

ER24 spokesperson Derrick Banks said when the woman was finally freed, she was rushed to Chief Albert Luthuli Hospital in a critical condition.

Describing the scene, paramedics said the bus was sitting on top of a small red car with only one of the woman's arms and legs visible to them.

Netcare 911 spokesperson Chris Botha said no one aboard the bus had been injured.

Witnesses said the bus had been speeding along Edith Benson Road (formerly Botanic Gardens Road) and failed to stop at a red traffic light.

The bus apparently collided with a number of cars and drove through the intersection before hitting a black BMW and landing on top of a red Volkswagon Polo.

The red bus came to a halt about 70 metres from the intersection.

Motorist Wayne Rengasamy said he had seen the bus first hit a white car, which in turn hit a BMW, before hitting the Red Polo.

"He (the bus driver) didn't look sober to me."

Another motorist Gale Hansen said the traffic light was red.

"We had all stopped. I just saw this bus fly. He was either drunk or his brakes had failed."

Metro police were at the scene but their Superintendent Joyce Khuzwayo was not available for comment.

Sapa