Baku-APA. Twelve Portuguese passengers, including a seven-year-old girl, died when their minibus collided with a heavy lorry on a motorway in central France known locally as "the road of death", APA reports quoting AFP.
The crash happened late on Thursday night as the minibus was travelling from Switzerland to Portugal, taking the group home for the Easter holidays.
"The 12 passengers of the minibus, who were all Portuguese, are dead," said a statement from the local authority.
The local Allier prefecture said all the victims had been identified and discussions were under way with Portuguese authorities on organising the bodies' repatriation.
Authorities said the bus swerved for an unknown reason and slammed head-first into the lorry on a notorious accident blackspot described by officials as the deadliest in France at Montbeugny near the town of Moulins.
The 19-year-old driver of the minibus survived with a fractured wrist.
"He is currently hospitalised, and will be questioned by investigators," said local prosecutor Pierre Gagnoud.
The two Italian drivers of the lorry also suffered injuries but are expected to survive.
All of the drivers took alcohol tests which showed they had not been drinking.
Follow us on Telegram
t.me/apanewsaz
Follow us on Instagram
Follow us on TikTok
Follow us on Facebook
Follow us on X
