Passenger Bus Plunges Into St. Petersburg River, Killing 4

At least four people have died and six others were injured when a passenger bus plunged into a river in central St. Petersburg, Russia’s state-run news agency TASS reported Friday, citing emergency services.

St. Petersburg police said around 20 passengers were on board the bus when it fell off a bridge into the Moika River at around 1:00 p.m. local time. Surveillance video shared by law enforcement showed the bus making a U-turn and crashing through a bridge railing before nosediving into the water.

The driver was arrested and charged with traffic violations, St. Petersburg’s police announced on Telegram. If found guilty, he faces up to seven years in prison.

The St. Petersburg government’s transportation committee said the driver lost control of the bus.

The death toll could climb higher as doctors continue fighting for the lives of four other passengers who are in a state of clinical death, according to the St. Petersburg-based news outlet Fontanka, which cited anonymous sources.

Fontanka later claimed that it identified the driver as a 44-year-old with the name Rakhmatshokh.

“The victims are being provided prompt assistance. I’m coordinating it personally,” St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov wrote on Telegram.