Driver of the bus that fell into the river in St. Petersburg, a native of Tajikistan, has been declared a suspect

A passenger bus fell into the Moika River from the Poets Bridge in the center of St. Petersburg. The accident occurred on Friday, May 10. Seven people died.

The traffic accident involving public transport has become the deadliest in St. Petersburg in the last twenty years, notes “Agency”. Two more injured individuals are in serious condition. At the time of the accident, there were twenty people on the bus, the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported.

The video footage of the disaster from city surveillance cameras shows that the bus may have been out of control before the fall. It collided with passenger cars, then crashed through the bridge’s railing and fell into the water.

The bus driver, 44-year-old Rahmatshokh Kurbonov, during interrogation stated that the bus’s brakes failed. He is currently a suspect under a criminal article for violating traffic rules that resulted in multiple deaths. According to eyewitness reports, Kurbonov was the first to escape from the bus and attempted to open the roof hatch – but was unable to do so. Bystanders who jumped into the water opened the hatch, writes “Fontanka”. According to the publication, the driver is currently in the hospital in serious condition. Several media outlets report that Kurbonov, originally from Tajikistan, is a citizen of Russia.

The city transport committee informed RIA “Novosti” that the driver underwent the necessary medical examinations before starting work, and that his work and rest schedule was adhered to. However, the driver’s wife told the “78” television channel that her husband worked nearly twenty-four hours yesterday and had slept no more than five hours before his shift today.

The transport company “LLC Taxi,” which owns the bus, stated that the bus passed technical inspection and was in good condition before going out on the route. The St. Petersburg transport committee announced that it is starting a comprehensive inspection of LLC “Taxi”.

The Investigative Committee has also initiated a criminal case under the article for providing services that do not meet safety requirements. The case is under the control of the head of the Investigative Committee of Russia, Alexander Bastrykin.