The number of people injured in the school bus accident near Khabarovsk has increased to 22. The accident occurred in the village of Voronezhskoye-2 when a bus carrying children to the zoo overturned.

According to Alexander Kalashnikov, chief physician of the regional clinical hospital, 22 people were hospitalized, including children brought in separately by their parents. Seven children are being treated at the regional clinical hospital, and 14 are at the regional children’s hospital. One woman was released for outpatient treatment.

Preliminary reports suggest that a brake system malfunction may have caused the bus to overturn. A criminal case has been opened under part 1 of Article 238 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, concerning the provision of services that do not meet safety requirements.

While there were no serious injuries reported, the injured sustained bruises, sprains, and traumatic brain injuries. All passengers were wearing seat belts, which authorities believe prevented more severe consequences.

The bus was transporting children aged 7 to 14 from the health camp of school No. 66 in Khabarovsk to the Priamursky Zoo named after Sysoev. The transportation was arranged by Bagira LLC under a contract.

The traffic police reported that the bus driver, born in 1962, was not injured. However, the bus was not equipped with a recorder, and the driver’s card was not inserted into the tachograph. An examination of the bus’s technical condition will be conducted as part of the ongoing investigation.