China bus plunged off bridge after a woman and driver indulged in a fist fight

A deadly bus accident in China's Chongqing city last Sunday was caused by a fist fight between the driver and a passenger, said local authorities on Friday.

The bus plunged into a section of the Yangtze River in Wanzhou district, killing all 15 people on board, including the driver.

A video retrieved from the black box of the bus shows a passenger scuffling with the driver just moments before the crash.

The release of the clip brings an end to the mystery surrounding the cause of the deadly crash, which has come to captivate China amid extensive television coverage of a massive search-and-recovery effort.

For days after the accident, the No. 22 bus lay at the bottom of the Yangtze River -- in waters more than 70 meters (230 feet) deep.

Police said they pieced together what happened based on footage from the on-board recorder, which was recovered by divers, as well as 2,300 hours of surveillance videos along the bus route and numerous witness accounts.

In their findings, the authorities blamed the 42-year-old driver for not following proper safety procedures, but ruled out any anomalies in his mental state. The bus was also found to have no mechanical issues.

The statement concluded that both the passenger and the driver had broken laws for seriously endangering public safety.

The bus was pulled out of the river on Wednesday, and divers have so far recovered 13 bodies with two still missing.

According to Wanzhou police, the fight started after a female passenger missed her stop and asked the driver to pull over immediately. He refused, and she went on to hit his head with her mobile phone before they exchanged blows.

More than 70 rescue boats were deployed to the scene, reported China Daily. The wreck was pulled out of the river on Wednesday night by a floating crane.

Thirteen bodies were reported to have been found. Two are still missing.

The 48-year-old woman then attacked the driver with her cell phone, while he fought back with his right arm.

When she struck him again, he abruptly turned the steering wheel left, swerving into oncoming traffic before crashing into the railings on the side of a bridge -- screaming can be heard as the video stops.