9 dead in Orsha car crash

9 people die in head-on car collision on the St Petersburg-Odessa highway near Orsha.

The Investigatory Committee of Belarus told Belapan four Uzbekistan nationals and one Azerbaijan national died on the spot inside the Opel Omega car. Four Ukraine nationals died inside the Mercedes Benz van, according to the IDs retrieved from the crash site.

The road accident occurred on July 28 at 0716. Two vehicles - an Opel Omega Caravan and Mercedes Benz Sprinter van - suffered a head-on collision near the village of Babinichy.

Five people inside the Opel with Russian number plates died on the spot. The Mercedes Benz van was carrying 14 people at the time of the accident. Three people died on the spot. 11 were injured and had to be pulled out of the wreckage by rescuers using special equipment. One person died in the hospital.

Police are investigating the accident. The Russian and Ukrainian consulates have been notifed about the accident.