Seven killed as bus crashes into river in Russia’s St Petersburg

MOSCOW: Seven people were killed when a bus with an estimated 20 people on board crashed into a river in the northern Russian city of St Petersburg on Friday, officials said.

“The number of deaths as a result of a bus falling into the Moyka river has increased to seven people,” Russia´s Investigative Committee, said in an update to an earlier toll.

It said it had opened criminal probes into the incident.

The emergency situations ministry said earlier that divers were attaching slings to lift the bus out of the water.

The police said that there were about 20 people on the bus, which crashed into the Moyka River in the historic city centre.

Video images apparently showing the crash were broadcast on Russian media.

The video showed the bus veering sharply in the road before crashing from a bridge and sinking within seconds.