The cause of the accident was probably a broken tire: At least 19 people were killed in a bus accident in Siberia. 21 more passengers were injured, as the regional government announced. The bus had broken through a guardrail and had fallen about six meters onto a frozen river.
The driver had lost control of the bus near the town of Sretensk, east of Lake Baikal. Thereupon the bus with more than 40 passengers on board broke a barrier. Among the victims are also children. Further details were not known at first.
On TV footage of Ren-TV was seen rescue workers trying to rescue survivors from the overturned bus. According to authorities, more than 70 rescue workers were deployed.
The temperatures in the Sabaikalsk region, where the disaster occurred, were minus 18 degrees Celsius on Sunday; the river was covered with a thick layer of ice. The authorities initiated an investigation to clarify compliance with all safety regulations.
Traffic accidents are common in Russia. In recent years, however, the number of road deaths has fallen - to around 20,000 per year.
