YEREVAN. – Speaker of the Armenian parliament Hovik Abrahamyan has sent messages of condolences to the Speaker of the Russian Federal Council of the Federal Assembly Valentina Matviyenko and the Speaker of the State Duma Sergey Narishkin in connection with the fatal bus crash which occurred near Podolsk.

Hovik Abrahamyan expressed his deep sorrow, asking to convey his sincere condolences and support to the families of the victims, wishing patience and fortitude, and a speedy recovery to the injured.

As informed earlier, a truck crashed into a passenger bus on July 13 outside Moscow, and it was found out that the truck driver was an Armenian citizen by the name of Hrachya Harutyunyan. The impact of the crash was so powerful that the bus had split in two. The accident claimed 18 lives and injured 64 others. The court had Harutyunyan arrested on Monday. It is noteworthy that he was brought to the courtroom with a women’s robe.