AT least four passengers were killed and another 20 injured when a bus plunged off a bridge and onto railway tracks in central Finland today.

The vehicle smashed into five cars stopped at a red light in the city of Kuopio after the breaks allegedly failed, cops confirmed.

Photos showed the white bus on its side on the tracks with the bridge rail broken.

Police spokesman Miika Mutanen said: "We spoke briefly to the bus driver who told us he wanted to brake but they didn't work."

There was no train on the tracks when the bus, owned by the Kemin Liikenne company, plummeted at around 3pm.

Mutanen said two people were seriously injured and 20 others were brought to the hospital in Kuopio, 220 miles from Helsinki, with minor injuries.

Finnish railway operator VR said that all train traffic on the stretch had been halted and passengers were being transported by bus instead.

Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipila tweeted "sad news from Kuopio" and expressed his condolences to the victims.

Police said the bus most likely crashed because of a technical error, according to Finish site YLE.

An eye witness is reported to have said the bus was moving at "very high speed" on just two wheels before it went over the side.

The railway's electrical system was damaged by the crash and is expected to take several hours to repair.

At least 11 people, including two fighting for their lives, were been injured after a double decker bus crashed in Hampshire last month.

The two people suffered life-threatening injuries while another three were seriously hurt, taken to University Hospital Southampton for treatment.

Ten ambulances were scrambled to the scene of the crash on B3400 Andover Road about midday.