Bus crashes off bridge into river in Russia after exhausted driver works 20 hour shift, with seven people killed

10 May 2024, 16:01

This is the horrifying moment an out-of-control bus veers off a bridge into a river in the Russian city of St Petersburg, killing seven people.

Russian news reports said there were 15 people on the city bus when it broke through a barrier and plunged into the Moika River in central St Petersburg.

It is unclear why the bus crashed, but the driver's wife said he had been forced to work a morning shift after doing 20 hours the day before. He has been arrested.

Six of those who were onboard climbed out of the water on their own.

The Emergencies Ministry said that rescuers removed nine people from the water and seven of them died.

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It said that two others were in a critical condition.

A surveillance video released by Russian media showed the bus driving fast, making a sharp turn on to the bridge and colliding with another vehicle before breaking through the barrier and falling into the water.

Authorities in St Petersburg said that the owner of the bus had been fined 23 times for various violations.

Private companies run most of the city's bus services.

Authorities opened a criminal investigation into alleged traffic violations and unsafe travel services.

The Taxi bus company said that the bus was in good working order and that it was checked before it began working.

Local media reported that the driver, a 44-year-old Russian born in Tajikistan, had passed the necessary medical examinations.