China Bus Crash: Fight Between Passenger, Driver Lead To Deadly Plunge [Video]

Security footage released Friday showed an argument between a passenger and a driver led to the bus plunging into the Yangtze River, Chongqing, China last week. At least 13 people died and two more are missing following the crash.

Earlier reports had suggested the bus had changed directions to avoid an oncoming vehicle resulting in the former losing control and plunging 50m (164ft) off a bridge into the Yangtze River. However, the footage showed the driver being hit by a passenger at the time. The driver struck back, grabbing the passenger and losing control of the bus.

Video from the outside shows the bus colliding with an oncoming car before breaking through the road fencing and flying off the bridge. Local newspaper Shine reported the 48-year-old female passenger, who was identified only as Liu, was angry the bus had missed her stop.

According to a statement issued by local authorities on Thursday, 13 bodies have been retrieved from the river so far and two were still missing. The wreckage of the bus was pulled out of the water by a floating crane Wednesday. The investigation into the accident was underway.

Post the incident, several people took to social media demanding to ban women drivers after early reports cited an eyewitness account that a woman wearing heels driving car in the wrong direction caused the accident.

Many commenters in Chinese micro blogging website, Weibo, wrote messages such as “The traffic management authorities should just ban women from driving” and “The bus should have just run her over to prevent more deaths,” South China Morning Post reported.

However, it was later reported it wasn’t the woman’s fault and she was driving normally. Her husband said she suffered minor injuries and was hospitalized. She was however held by police after the accident for a short time. He also added his wife had six years’ driving experience and was a better driver than he was. He said people have the habit of always jumping to conclusions when a woman driver was involved in an accident.