At least 19 people were killed after a bus fell off a bridge onto a frozen river in Siberia on Sunday. The bus had 43 travellers and an operator on board, burst as it was passing the bridge over the Kuenga river in eastern Siberia’s Zabaikalsky region.
The office of the governor of the Zabaikalsky region said in a statement that so far nineteen individuals are confirmed to die and 21 are severely injured in the tragic event.
Two helicopters with medical aid were sent to the scene. According to Russia’s emergencies ministry, the bus was travelling from Sretensk to Chita.
Russia’s Investigative Committee, which examines pressing occurrences, said it had initiated a criminal inquiry into a likely contravention of traffic safety rules.
Road collisions are frequent in Russia, usually due to alcohol, the poor state of roads and failure to observe traffic rules.