Four killed in crash between duck boat and bus in Seattle

A charter bus and amphibious tour vehicle collided on a Seattle bridge Thursday, killing four people and critically injuring 12 others. The incident is the latest involving what is known as a duck boat, which has a history of fatal accidents. 

Seattle Fire Chief Harold Scoggins says four people died at the scene of a crash. Seattle Mayor Ed Murray said there were foreign students on the charter bus, and that the the National Transportation Safety Board is taking over the investigation of the crash. 

In a statement Thursday evening, North Seattle College said "four of our students were tragically killed" in the crash, and that because they were international students, government official were working to contact their family members. North Seattle College is a two-year institution with about 18,000 students.

John Mundell said he was at the south end of Aurora Bridge when he heard the crash. The side of the charter bus was ripped open from the force of the collision.

"We could hear the screech and twisted metal," he said. "It was surreal."

Mundell said he saw what appeared to be a few dozen people on the ground. "I wanted to try to help. I felt helpless."

One of the vehicles involved was an amphibious, military-style bus operated by a tour company called "Ride the Ducks." The tours are known for exuberant drivers and guides who play loud music and quack through megaphones as they lead tourists around the city.

Lt. Sue Stangl of the Seattle Fire Dept. said emergency crews were quick to arrive at the scene and encountered several injuries.

"When (firefighters) arrived a lot of people were running at them, obviously saying people needed help," said Stangl.

Harborview Medical Center spokeswoman Susan Gregg said the hospital expected to treat up to 10 of the most seriously injured victims, while as many as 15 others were being dispersed to other hospitals in the area.

The bridge was expected to be closed for hours as authorities investigated and cleared the wreckage, Stangl said.

Deadly crashes have plagued amphibious tour vehicles across the country.

In July, the family of a woman struck and killed by an amphibious tourist boat in Philadelphia filed a wrongful-death lawsuit.

Attorneys for Elizabeth Karnicki's family allege the May 8 accident, which occurred during rush hour, was due in part to "huge blind spots" on the Ride The Ducks vehicle.

In 2010, a barge plowed into an amphibious vessel packed with tourists that had stalled in the Delaware River in Philadelphia.

The crash sent all 37 people on the duck boat into the river, but 16-year-old Dora Schwendtner and 20-year-old Szabolcs Prem never resurfaced. The Hungarians were visiting the United States through a church exchange program; their families filed wrongful-death lawsuits. 

Thirteen people were also killed in 1999, when a duck boat sank in Hot Springs, Arkansas. 

Al Jazeera and The Associated Press