HELSINKI (Reuters) - At least four people were killed and 17 others injured in Finland on Friday when a bus collided with passenger cars and plunged off a bridge onto railway tracks, local rescue service said.

A technical failure in the vehicle’s brakes might have caused the accident, police said.</s>HELSINKI (Reuters) - At least four people were killed and 17 others injured in Finland on Friday when a bus collided with passenger cars and plunged off a bridge onto railway tracks, local rescue service said.

A technical failure in the vehicle’s brakes might have caused the accident, police said.</s>HELSINKI: At least four people were killed and 17 others injured in Finland on Friday when a bus collided with passenger cars and plunged off a bridge onto railway tracks, local rescue service said.

A technical failure in the vehicle's brakes might have caused the accident, police said.</s>HELSINKI (Reuters) - At least four people were killed and 17 others injured in Finland on Friday when a bus collided with passenger cars and plunged off a bridge onto railway tracks, local rescue service said.

A technical failure in the vehicle’s brakes might have caused the accident, police said.</s>Image: Timo Hartikainen / Lehtikuva

Four people died when the bus in which they were travelling plunged off a bridge on to a train track in Kuopio Friday afternoon.

The bus was heading south along Highway 5 when a technical malfunction caused the vehicle to swerve off a bridge onto rail tracks below.



The Eastern Finland Police Department tweeted that in addition to the bus, five passenger cars were also involved in the crash.

Rail traffic in the area was suspended and according to police the motorway around junction 67 and surrounding roads were closed.

The accident occurred around 3.00pm. Preliminary reports say the bus was carrying approximately 20 passengers, four of whom died. Police said that 19 people were taken to the Kuopio University Hospital for treatment.

”The bus climbed a ramp in Levänen while travelling from north to south. Eyewitnesses say the bus was moving very fast and swerving on two wheels. It did not continue onto the motorway but rammed through several cars waiting at a traffic light and off the bridge” says Yle reporter on-scene Marianne Mattila.

Kuopio University Hospital communications director Varpu Puskala said the institution was put on high alert.

"Nineteen injured were brought into the hospital, three of whom were seriously hurt. Those on call here will continue their work as long as needed. Operation rooms are on full stand-by to receive patients, as is the intensive care unit."

Officials from the Safety Investigation Authority have launched an investigation into the incident.</s>4 killed when bus plunges onto train tracks in Finland

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — At least four people were killed and more than 20 injured Friday when a bus crashed into cars before falling onto railway tracks in central Finland, police said.

Finnish broadcaster YLE said the bus smashed into the cars stopped at a red light in the city of Kuopio before plunging onto the line. Photos showed the white bus on its side with the bridge rail torn.

Police spokesman Miika Mutanen said two people were seriously injured and 20 others were brought to the hospital with minor injuries.

The broadcaster said the bus belonged to the Kemin Liikenne company.

Finnish railway operator VR said Friday that all train traffic on the stretch had been halted and passengers were being transported by bus instead.</s>4 killed when bus plunges onto train tracks in Finland

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — A bus plunged about 10 meters (33 feet) from a bridge onto railway tracks in central Finland Friday, killing four people and injuring more than 20, two of them seriously, police said.

The bus smashed into five cars stopped at a red light in the city of Kuopio before going off the edge and falling onto the line, police spokesman Miika Mutanen told The Associated Press. Photos showed the white bus on its side on the tracks with the bridge rail broken.

"We spoke briefly to the bus driver who told us he wanted to brake but they didn't work and that he tried to avoid" other vehicles, Mutanen said.

There was no train on the tracks at the time of the accident at around 3 p.m.

Authorities told a news conference that the bus was headed south to the city of Jyvaskyla and was driving up a highway ramp. It continued straight ahead and plunged onto the railway tracks on the opposite side of the ramp.

Mutanen said two people were seriously injured and 20 others were brought to the hospital in Kuopio, some 350 kilometers (220 miles) northeast of Helsinki, with minor injuries.

Mutanen said it was not immediately clear who was traveling on the bus which belonged to the Kemin Liikenne company. Finnish broadcaster YLE said there were no children among the victims.

Finnish railway operator VR said that all train traffic on the stretch had been halted and passengers were being transported by bus instead.

Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipila tweeted "sad news from Kuopio," and expressed his condolences to the victims.</s>HELSINKI (Reuters) - Four people were killed and 20 others injured when a bus collided with five cars and plunged off a bridge onto railway tracks on Friday, Finnish emergency services said.

The charter bus, carrying a party of pensioners, landed on its side below the bridge in the town of Kuopio in central Finland. The driver survived and told police brake failure caused him to lose control of the vehicle.

Three people died at the scene and one more on the way to Kuopio University Hospital, where all the injured were taken. Three of the survivors were seriously hurt.</s>COPENHAGEN — A bus plunged from a bridge onto railway tracks in central Finland Friday, killing four people and injuring more than 20, police said.

The bus smashed into five cars stopped at a red light in the city of Kuopio before going off the edge and falling onto the line, police spokesman Miika Mutanen told The Associated Press. Photos showed the white bus on its side on the tracks with the bridge rail broken.

“We spoke briefly to the bus driver who told us he wanted to brake but they didn’t work and that he tried to avoid” other vehicles, Mutanen said.

There was no train on the tracks at the time of the accident at around 3 p.m.

Mutanen said two people were seriously injured and 20 others were brought to the hospital in Kuopio, some 350 kilometres (220 miles) northeast of Helsinki, with minor injuries.

The bus belonged to the Kemin Liikenne company.

Finnish railway operator VR said that all train traffic on the stretch had been halted and passengers were being transported by bus instead.

Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipila tweeted “sad news from Kuopio,” and expressed his condolences to the victims.</s>Report: 3 die as bus plunges onto train tracks in Finland

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Finnish broadcaster YLE says three people were killed when a bus plunged from an overpass onto railway tracks in central Finland.

YLE says several cars were involved in the accident.

Finnish railway operator VR said Friday that all train traffic on the stretch had been halted and passengers were being transported by bus instead.

Details, including the cause of the accident, were not known.
A bus plunges off a bridge onto a train track due to a malfunction near Kuopio, Finland, killing four people and injuring 20 others.