4 killed in Moscow as bus crashes into crowd
Four people were killed yesterday when a Moscow bus ploughed into a pedestrian underpass in the west of the city, officials said.
It was not immediately clear what caused the accident as authorities said they were looking into several possibilities, including a technical malfunction.
Authorities did not mention terrorism as a possible cause.
“Nine people are currently in the city’s clinics and four people died on the spot,” the Moscow city hall said in a statement.
Police were also giving the figure of four killed, revised down from previous statements which said the accident caused five deaths.
Footage broadcast on national television showed the bus driving onto the pavement and then down the stairs of the underpass, running over several pedestrians before coming to a stop.
Moscow police said in a statement they were looking into two possible causes — the driver losing control of the vehicle and a technical problem with the bus.
“The driver of the bus began movement and then changed his trajectory, which resulted in the bus going down into the pedestrian underpass,” the statement said.
“The driver has been detained. Police employees are working with him,” the statement said.
“According to the driver, the bus was parked and suddenly began to move by itself,” said a statement by the Russian Investigative Committee, which probes major crimes.
“Despite his attempts to stop the bus, the breaking system did not work and the bus continued moving,” it said.