3 die, as bus with children from Dagestan collides with minibus

Three people died, six people were injured in a head-on collision of a minibus and a bus with children in Stavropol Territory, Southern Russia, the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations reported on Sunday. According to the territorial road police, one person died, two people were injured, all children are safe and sound. The road accident occurred at 07:40 Moscow time (03:40 GMT) in Mineralnye Vody district on the federal highway Kavkaz. The bus was trafficking children from Makhachkala to Sochi. “According to preliminary reports, six casualties sustained, three people died, three children were taken to the hospital,” the ministry said. The territorial road police department reported that a bus, which was trafficking the children’s football team from the North Caucasian Republic of Dagestan collided with a minibus with the Ukrainian numbers near Mineralnye Vody. “The head-on collision occurred at the 331st kilometre of the federal highway Kavkaz, one person died, two people were injured,” the road police said. According to preliminary reports, a Mercedes shuttle bus was trafficking the children’s football team from Dagestan to Sochi for a football competition. The bus was carrying 35 people, including the coach and the driver, the road police noted. The shuttle bus Mercedes collided with the minibus Renault with the Ukrainian numbers driving on the oncoming lane on the border of the Mineralnye Vody and Andropovsky districts. “For unclear reasons Renault skidded on the oncoming lane,” the territorial road police added. The coach, who was sitting in the front part of the bus, died in the head-on collision. Two passengers were injured in Renault. “All children are safe and sound,” the road police noted.