A tourist bus carrying 43 passengers overturned into a ditch on the A-121 highway near the village of Lyaskelya in Karelia, Russian authorities reported to The Moscow Times.
The passengers included tourists from Moscow, Kursk, Belgorod, and Voronezh traveling to Karelia for the January holidays.
Initially, officials reported seven injuries, but the number has now risen to 14, including two children.
Karelian Health Minister Mikhail Okhlopkov stated that ten victims were transported to a hospital in Pitkyaranta, with two in critical condition in intensive care. Another four passengers received care in Sortavala, with two in moderate condition.
Efforts to transport critically injured passengers by air ambulance were thwarted due to poor weather.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the driver lost control of the vehicle, leading to the accident. A criminal case has been opened by the Investigative Committee to determine any violations.
This tragic incident recalls a similar accident in May 2024, when a passenger bus plunged into a river in St. Petersburg, killing seven people.
Investigations revealed the driver had been overworked.
