ST. PETERSBURG, Russia -- A bus veered off a bridge in St. Petersburg, Russia’s second-largest city, killing at least three people and leaving six others injured on Friday, officials said.
The Emergencies Ministry said that rescuers removed nine people from the water, and three of them died. It said four others were in critical condition, and two more were in serious condition.
Russian news reports initially said that there might have been about 20 people in the bus when it broke through a barrier and plunged into the Moika River in central St. Petersburg.
A surveillance video released by the Russian media showed the bus driving fast, making a sharp turn onto 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 has been repeatedly fined for various violations.