Four people were killed Monday when a Moscow bus plowed into a pedestrian underpass in the west of the city, officials said.
The accident happened around 3 p.m. (1200 GMT) near Moscow’s Slavyansky Boulevard metro station, a prestigious residential area near one of the capital’s main avenues.
It was not immediately clear what caused the accident as authorities said they were looking into several possibilities, including a technical malfunction.
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.
Investigators said they were questioning witnesses and plan to examine vehicle documentation and order medical examination of the driver.
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