A bus veered off traffic, veered off a bridge and plunged into a river Friday in St. Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city, killing seven people, authorities said.
The Investigative Committee, Russia's main criminal investigative body, reported the death toll. It did not say how many others were injured, but the emergency ministry said earlier that six people removed from the bus were in critical or serious condition.
Russian news said there were 15 to 20 people on the city bus when it broke through a barrier and plunged into the Moika River in central St. Petersburg. Six of those on board got out of the water on their own.
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Surveillance video released by Russian media showed the bus speeding, swerving toward the bridge, swerving across lanes and colliding with another vehicle before breaking through the barrier and plunging into the water.
A witness described bystanders jumping into the water to try to help rescue the passengers.
“They went in with their clothes and helped,” he said in Russian.
St. Petersburg authorities said the bus owner had been fined 23 times for various violations. Private companies run most of the city's bus services.
Another witness said it appeared he was “either steering erratically or the brakes failed”.
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The bus driver was arrested by the police. His wife was quoted by Russian media as saying that managers forced him to work the morning shift after working 20 hours the previous day and barely resting.
Authorities opened a criminal investigation into alleged traffic violations and unsafe travel services.
