Seven people were killed and several others were injured when a city bus carrying 20 people spun out of control, struck a car, and then careened off the side of a bridge and into a river in the center of St. Petersburg, Russian media reported.
Video of the incident shows the 262 bus, moving at a slow pace, losing control while making a right-hand turn and smacking into parked cars on the opposite side of the street. The bus then plunges over the side of the bridge and into the Molka River as the waters close over it.
Emergency responders quickly began pulling people out of the submerged vehicle, aided by passerby who threw buoys. The rescuers were able to pull everyone out of the bus, although additional searches of the river are still underway.
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Russian media reported that three people drowned immediately in the river and four more were later pronounced dead, although the death toll could climb as several people are in critical condition in the hospital.
The driver was arrested and charged with traffic violations, St. Petersburg police said, and the driver could face up to seven years in prison if convicted. The city government’s transportation committee said the driver lost control of the bus, according to state-run news agency TASS.
“The victims are being provided prompt assistance. I’m coordinating it personally,” St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov wrote on Telegram.
