A devastating three-vehicle collision on a highway in Russia's northern Arkhangelsk region has claimed at least 12 lives and left eight more people hospitalized, regional authorities said. The crash occurred on Friday when a minibus collided with a passenger car and a heavy truck transporting lumber, officials quoted by state media reported.
Emergency services were rushed to the scene shortly after the collision. Rescue crews worked for several hours to extract trapped victims from the mangled wreckage of the three vehicles. The severity of the impact led to what authorities described as a multi-vehicle pile-up, with debris scattered across the roadway.
The identity of the deceased has not yet been publicly disclosed, and an investigation into the precise cause of the crash is underway. Preliminary inquiries are focused on determining whether adverse weather conditions, road surface issues, or driver error played a role in the fatal accident. Russian traffic police have launched an official probe into the circumstances surrounding the collision.
Arkhangelsk, located approximately 750 kilometers north of Moscow along the Northern Dvina River, is one of Russia's sparsely populated northern regions. The area experiences harsh weather conditions for much of the year, including heavy snowfall and icy roads during winter months, which can contribute to hazardous driving conditions.
The Lada or local emergency response teams treated the injured at nearby hospitals. Medical officials have not released the current condition of the eight injured, but described some as being in serious condition. The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations has deployed additional resources to assist with rescue and cleanup operations at the site.
This latest tragedy has renewed calls for improved road safety measures across Russia's vast highway network, which stretches thousands of kilometers through remote and often climatically challenging terrain. Road accidents remain a significant cause of injury and death across the country.
