Bus plummets into river after crash involving trainee driver, large-scale rescue response launched: reports

(SeaPRwire) –   A trainee driver crashed a bus into the River Seine near Paris on Thursday after colliding with a parked car and swerving off the roadway, sparking a large-scale rescue operation, according to BBC and Reuters.

All four people on board were rescued and brought to safety, with more than 90 firefighters, divers and emergency crews — along with boats and a helicopter — responding to the scene, officials noted.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation, and drug and alcohol test results came back negative.

The incident occurred in Juvisy-sur-Orge, France, roughly 12 miles south of Paris, as the driver was nearing the end of her practical driving training, transport officials told the BBC.

Authorities stated the bus failed to make a turn near the riverbank, instead continuing straight and dragging a parked car into the water before plunging into the Seine, Reuters reported.

Dramatic footage shows the bus partially submerged, with rescue crews surrounding the vehicle — some individuals standing on top of the bus while others worked in the water below.

Witnesses described a chaotic response, with one person saying it felt like “every firefighter in the department” had arrived, as bystanders initially threw life rings into the river before first responders took over the operation.

Officials later launched an internal investigation into the crash’s cause.

Video released later showed crews using cranes to pull the submerged bus from the river as helicopters circled overhead.