20 dead as bus collides with truck in south Russia

News agencies said Friday that the overloaded bus was carrying over 40 people, while having only 27 seats, half of which had been removed to make more space for passengers.

The accident is said to be the fault of the truck driver, who entered the oncoming lane, leaving the bus driver no chance to escape the collision.

Seventeen people, including both drivers, died on the spot, three more died on the way to and in hospital. Most of the passengers have been wounded.

Rescue officers are working on the site of the crash, trying to rescue people still stuck inside the bus.

Russian roads are notorious for being narrow, poorly maintained and highly dangerous.

Earlier this week, eight people died and 38 were injured when a driver lost control of his bus and swerved off a road in Siberia and overturned. The driver, who survived, confessed he was talking on his mobile phone when the bus crashed.