Four people have been rescued from the Seine near Paris after a bus driven by a trainee driver collided with a parked vehicle before plunging into the river.

The bus was travelling through the town of Juvisy-sur-Orge, south-east of the French capital, on Thursday when it veered off the road into the Seine, prosecutors said.

The driver and three other people who were on the bushad been rescued, they said, adding that the police had opened an investigation.

Officials did not provide details on the condition of the rescued people.

The bus was being operated by a trainee in the final stages of her instruction, said a spokesperson for the IDFM transport authority. Both she and her supervising driver tested negative for drugs and alcohol, and the bus was scheduled to be recovered from the water later in the day, he added.

Several rescue boats, a drone and helicopters were deployed as part of the recovery effort. Sixteen fire engines with more than 30 firefighters, and dozens of police officers were involved as well, the prefecture said.

The bus was completely submerged near a bridge, while the parked car struck by the vehicle also ended up in the river, an Agence France-Presse journalist reported.

A witness told AFP she saw the bus sweep the other vehicle as it went over the edge and into the water. “Instead of veering to the right, the bus went straight on and dragged a car down with it,” said Elisabeth, who asked that her last name not be used.

Bystanders rushed to a nearby barge, and life rings were thrown out before emergency services arrived, she added. Another witness said he feared a bomb had gone off when he heard the loud crash. “I felt like every firefighter in the department was there,” said Amine.