Eight people injured after taxi hits crowds in Moscow
Authorities say the driver lost control, but video footage shows the car move out of stationary traffic into crowds.
Sunday 17 June 2018 06:40, UK
Eight people have been injured after a taxi drove into a crowd of people including Mexico World Cup supporters in central Moscow.
Moscow's traffic management authority said the driver had a licence issued in Kyrgyzstan and had not driven into the crowd of people deliberately.
But video footage posted on social media showed the yellow Hyundai taxi swerve violently out of a line of stationary traffic, mount a pavement and collide with pedestrians.
The vehicle then drove for around 10m (30ft), knocking people over, before hitting a traffic sign.
The driver then ran away from the car, but was tackled by bystanders.
Police in the Russian capital said a criminal investigation had been opened into a suspected violation of the traffic code following the accident near Red Square.
In a post on Twitter, Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said: "There was an unpleasant incident with a taxi. The driver lost control of the vehicle."
In a statement, Moscow's city healthcare department said seven people were in a satisfactory condition and one woman was seriously injured.
The Mexican embassy in the city said two Mexican women had suffered slight injuries. Among the others hurt were a Ukrainian and two Russian citizens, according to TASS news agency.
One witness, Viktoria Geraimovich, said: "There were shouts, moans. He was only stopped because he hit a traffic sign.
"Someone gave him a punch in the face. He stayed in the car, people came up to him, said what are you doing, punched him in the face, he opened the door and tried to run away."
Mexico play Germany on Sunday in their first World Cup match at Moscow's Luzhniki stadium.
Russian authorities have promised to host a safe World Cup tournament, which is taking place in 11 cities until 15 July.