16 Dead After Minibus Collides With Two Lorries in Russia

The accident left 16 dead, 14 of whom were Kyrgyz citizens, according to rescue services quoted by the TASS news agency.

At least 16 people died and another three were hospitalized after a minibus and two lorries collided in Russia's Ulyanovsk region on August 21, local officials said.

"According to preliminary data, the driver of a heavy goods vehicle drove into oncoming traffic and collided with a minibus," the Ulyanovsk region's interior ministry said in a statement.

Road works at the scene of the incident meant the minibus was waiting in a queue to move, it said. "The minibus was wedged between two lorries," the ministry said.

The accident left 16 dead, 14 Kyrgyz citizens and two Russians, according to rescue services quoted by the TASS news agency.

Kyrgyzstan's foreign affairs minister confirmed the death of the country's 14 citizens in a statement.

Video footage broadcast by the police showed the crumpled husk of what appeared to be a minibus sandwiched between two lorries and emergency service workers later inspecting the flattened vehicle.

Russia's Investigative Committee has opened a criminal investigation, the TASS news agency reported.

Based on reporting by Reuters and AFP