Monday, August 06, 2012 -
Four passengers on a public bus were killed Sunday when a truck crane struck their vehicle in Kazakhstan’s capital city Astana.
The incident happened at a major road intersection close to the center of Astana when the crane driver turned a sharp left, sending the boom careering into the side of a passing bus and smashing its windows, according to witnesses.
Four passengers died on the spot, while others were taken to local hospitals suffering from injuries of varying severity. Some passengers were treated on the spot for minor injuries, the semi-official Kazinform news agency reported.
Police authorities arrested the 29-year-old crane driver and are holding him in a temporary detention center.
Meanwhile, authorities have laid criminal charges against the man, whose name was not published.