Seven dead after bus plunges off city centre viaduct in Rio de Janeiro

Seven people have died after a bus plunged 10 metres off a viaduct in the city centre of Rio de Janeiro. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO

According to the BBC, the 328 bus crashed onto the Avenida Brasil, one of the city's biggest avenues and main thoroughfares, where it landed on its roof.

There were reportedly 18 passengers on the bus at the time, and police said that five men and two women died in the accident, which happened in the northern area of the city, close to Rio's Governor's Island.

Fire engines, ambulances and two helicopters joined in the rescue effort, taking the injured to local hospitals.

The cause of the crash is not yet known, and police have launched an investigation.

According to Sky News, buses have become the main mode of transport for the city's six million people as two big metro stations are closed due to the extension of Rio's subway.

But, the site reports, many of the buses are known to be extremely overcrowded and often travel at high speeds.

See footage of the incident below:




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