In St. Petersburg, a bus with passengers was involved in an accident on the Poets’ Bridge and fell into the Moyka River. At that time, there were about 20 people on the bus. According to Russian media, three people died in the accident, and another four are in a state of clinical death. Published footage […]
In St. Petersburg, a bus with passengers was involved in an accident on the Poets’ Bridge and fell into the Moyka River. At that time, there were about 20 people on the bus.
According to Russian media, three people died in the accident, and another four are in a state of clinical death.
Published footage shows that the driver lost control: he veered into oncoming traffic, knocked down barriers, and hit several cars. Preliminary reports suggest he became unwell at the wheel.
The bus driver, identified by media as Rakhmatshokh Kurbonov, has been hospitalized. He is reported to be 44 years old and worked as a driver for a taxi company. It is unclear which country Rakhmatshokh is from, but some reports indicate he is a citizen of Tajikistan.
The press service of the Investigative Committee of St. Petersburg reported that a criminal case has been initiated regarding the bus falling into the water. The bus driver has been detained.
The St. Petersburg court fined the taxi company that owns the passenger bus that fell into the river 400,000 rubles for violating licensing conditions.
Media reports indicate that the bus driver was forced to go on a shift the morning after a 20-hour workday and only 5 hours of sleep.
The wife of driver Rakhmatshokh Kurbonov stated that her husband came home around two in the morning after starting work at five in the morning. By half-past seven, he was already woken up and told to get back behind the wheel. According to her, the man did not complain about his health, but fatigue may have played a role.