A trainee driver caused a dramatic incident near Paris on Thursday when a bus collided with a parked car and veered off the road, plunging into the River Seine. This incident led to a large-scale rescue effort, as reported by BBC and Reuters.
Remarkably, all four individuals on the bus were rescued unharmed. The operation involved over 90 firefighters, divers, and emergency personnel, supported by boats and a helicopter, according to officials.
The exact reasons behind the crash are still being investigated, though both drug and alcohol tests for the driver returned negative results.
French emergency services responded swiftly to the scene in Juvisy-sur-Orge, a town located approximately 12 miles south of Paris, where the bus, carrying passengers, ended up in the River Seine on April 30, 2026. (Photo by Abdul Saboor/Reuters)
Transport officials informed the BBC that the incident occurred as the driver was nearing the conclusion of her practical training session. The bus failed to make a turn near the riverbank, instead continuing straight and dragging a parked car into the water before it submerged into the Seine, according to Reuters.
Authorities said the bus missed a turn near the riverbank, instead continuing straight and dragging a parked car into the water before plunging into the Seine, Reuters reported.
Dramatic images show the bus partially submerged as rescue crews surrounded it with some individuals on top of the vehicle while others worked in the water below.
Workers recover a bus that plunged into the River Seine in Juvisy-sur-Orge Thursday, near Paris, France. (Abdul Saboor/Reuters)
Witnesses described a chaotic response, with one 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.
French emergency services and firefighters respond after a bus with passengers fell into the River Seine in Juvisy-sur-Orge, near Paris, France. (Abdul Saboor/Reuters)
Officials later launched an internal investigation into what caused the crash.
Video released later showed crews using cranes to pull the submerged bus from the river as helicopters circled overhead.
