A passenger bus carrying about 20 people swerved through traffic and veered off a bridge before plunging into a river on Friday in St. Petersburg, Russia’s second-largest city, killing seven people.
Russia’s top criminal investigations body, the Investigative Committee, confirmed the death toll. Emergencies ministry said that six people were removed from the bus in critical or serious condition.
The bus broke through a barrier before it plunged into the Moika River in central St. Petersburg.
Reports indicated that six of those who were onboard climbed out of the water on their own.
A surveillance video depicting the entire accident is currently trending online. The video shows the bus driving fast, making a sharp turn onto the bridge, swerving across lanes and colliding with another vehicle before breaking through the barrier and falling into the water.
Another video shows bystanders jumping into the water to try to help rescue passengers. Others can be seen throwing floaters into the water.
Private companies run most of the city’s bus services. The owner of the bus involved in this accident had been fined 23 times for various violations according to the city’s authorities.
A witness said it looked like the driver was ‘steering erratically or the brakes failed.’
Other reports indicated that the driver of the bus was detained by police.
His wife was quoted by Russian media as saying that managers forced him to work a morning shift after working for 20 hours the previous day and getting virtually no rest.
Authorities have opened a criminal investigation into alleged traffic violations and unsafe travel services.
Watch the dramatic footage here.
