Seven dead in a bus accident in St. Petersburg, officials said

Seven people were killed after a bus crashed and fell into a river in the Russian city of St. Petersburg, according to local officials.

The accident occurred on the Potsiluyev Bridge over the Moika River in the city’s historic center on Friday afternoon.

The footage shows the bus swerving into oncoming traffic, colliding with two cars before breaking through the bridge barrier and falling into the water, sinking within seconds.

The authorities said that the bus driver was arrested and a criminal investigation was opened into the cause of the accident.

The Russian Investigative Service announced the high death toll via a statement on the Telegram application on Friday evening.

This came after previous reports from local authorities that four people were left in critical condition and two others were seriously injured after the accident.

There were reportedly an estimated 20 people on board at the time of the accident.

This happened after the bus driver lost control when turning onto the bridge from Bolshaya Morskaya Street.

The Ministry of Emergencies said on social media that “rescuers pulled nine people out of the sinking bus.” However, three people were reported dead soon after.

Surveillance camera footage from the scene shows passers-by jumping into the water to try to rescue the passengers.

According to Russian reports, Idris Gadzhiev, Shahban Jabrailov and Mammad Hasanov were among those who jumped into the river.

“We were driving to Friday prayers when we saw the bus fall into the river,” Gadjiev told the Fontanka website.

“We were not heroes, we were just doing our civic duty,” Dzhabrailov said.

Footage later released by authorities shows emergency services lifting the bus from the river using heavy machinery.

The Emergencies Ministry later said rescue operations had been completed.

Potsiluyev Bridge is located in the center of St. Petersburg, about 1.5 kilometers (0.9 mi) from the Hermitage Museum.