Three bus passengers died and six others were undergoing urgent treatment in a hospital after their bus careened off a bridge and into the Moika River in the Russian city of St. Petersburg on Friday, the local department of the emergencies ministry said.
Four of the six were unconscious and the other two were in a serious condition, the ministry said, adding that a total of nine people had been rescued and all of the passengers were accounted for.
The bus was almost completely submerged near the bridge in the city’s historic center, with emergency workers standing on the roof, rescue boats nearby and ambulances waiting on the bridge.
A video published by authorities showed the bus swerving wildly before crashing through the bridge railings and sinking into the water.
The RIA news agency said the driver of the bus, which carried about 20 passengers, has been detained.