Four children among seven killed in Russia bus crash

Passengers were travelling to a dance competition in city of Kaluga

Seven people including four children have died after a bus overturned on the way to a dance competition in Russia.

The coach carrying at least 45 passengers veered off a snow-covered local road around 118 miles south of Moscow on Sunday morning, according to officials.

They were left trapped inside for several hours before rescue teams managed to pull everyone out.

Thirty-two people, including 23 children, were taken to hospital for treatment for injuries.

Police detained the driver for questioning over the incident, which did not involve any other vehicles.

The local emergency situations ministry said the bus veered off the road and overturned at around 9.22am.

Footage released by emergency workers showed the bus lying upside-down on the side of a snow-covered road in the Babyninsky district.

The mayor of the town of Yartsevo told the Interfax news agency the bus was carrying a children’s dance club to a competition in the city of Kaluga.

All the passengers were from the Smolensk region, accroding to the emergency situations ministry.

More than 20,000 road deaths were reported in Russia in 2018, according to the World Health Organisation, with an estimated rate of 18 per 100,000 population. By comparison the UK road death rate is 3.1.

The ministry issued a statement calling on road users to “comply with the established rules of behavior on the road.” It added: “Do not forget that the health and lives of other people depend on you.”

Additional reporting by Associated Press