Sunken bus in the River Seine. Credit: François Durovray X
Commuters in Juvisy-sur-Orge witnessed a terrifying scene on Thursday morning, April 30, when a public bus veered off the road and crashed through a fence and into the River Seine. Local police confirmed the vehicle was being operated by a trainee driver completing her practical learning at the time of the incident.
Dramatic rescue operation south of Paris
Emergency responders rushed to the riverbank approximately 20 km south of Paris centre after the vehicle struck a parked car and swerved into the water at 9.30 am local time. Over 90 firefighters, divers, and police officers participated in a complex recovery mission involving helicopters and drones. Four individuals, including the student driver, her instructor, and two passengers, were pulled from the sinking vehicle. Miraculously, everyone on board survived the soggy ordeal and was reported safe and sound by local officials.
Suite à l’accident survenu ce matin à Juvisy-sur-Orge, la situation est désormais revenue à la normale.
Les opérations de vérification menées par les plongeurs ont permis de s’assurer qu’aucune personne ne se trouvait dans l’eau. Aucune victime n’est heureusement à déplorer.… pic.twitter.com/tIXGsVxR2r
— François Durovray (@durovray) April 30, 2026
Investigations launched into training gaff
Lamia Bensara Reda, the Mayor of Juvisy-sur-Orge, described the event as a nightmare, saying that the bus dragged a dark blue car into the water with it as it lost control near a busy station. Witnesses claimed the driver failed to negotiate a right-hand turn, heading straight into the Seine instead. Images from the scene showed the bus partially submerged for several hours before towing teams successfully extracted it during the afternoon with cranes.
Testing for alcohol and narcotics returned negative results for the driver, leaving the exact cause of the crash a mystery for now. The bus company, Île-de-France Mobilités, has ordered an immediate internal inquiry to determine why the vehicle left the road. Local politician Claire Lejeune praised the bravery of bystanders who threw life rings into the water before professional rescue teams arrived. There have been no reports of anyone diving in after the bus to rescue survivors, but the river does have a reputation. Traffic remained heavily congested throughout the day as local police managed the crowds gathered along the riverbanks to watch the recovery.
