At least 26 people were killed in a traffic accident involving a bus, a minibus and a fuel truck that exploded after a crash in the Rivne region of western Ukraine, the Interior Ministry said Wednesday, piling further misery on the war-torn country.
The bus had been heading to Poland, the ministry said on Facebook. It did not say whether it was carrying any people fleeing the war in Ukraine following Russia's invasion.
The dead from Tuesday's collision included 24 passengers and the drivers of both the bus and the minibus. Twelve others were hurt including the driver of the fuel truck, the ministry said.
The driver of the minibus allegedly caused the accident, Ukrainian security expert Anton Herashchenko wrote on Telegram.
Meanwhile, police in the Rivne region said that at least 12 people were injured.
The long-distance road between Kyiv and Chop had to be completely closed in the village of Sytne in the Dubno district. The scene of the accident is about 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the Polish border.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also mentioned the accident in his evening video address. In his daily address to the nation late Tuesday, Zelenskyy said a "terrible road accident" had taken place in the region.
"A bus, a car and a fuel truck collided. As of now, there are already 17 dead, but there may be more victims," Zelenskyy said, expressing condolences to those who lost loved ones in the accident.
The accident did not appear to be directly linked to Russia's war against Ukraine, which is in its third month, and Zelenskyy did not mention any connection in his address.
In recent weeks, Russia has been focusing its attacks on southern and eastern Ukraine, while occasionally also striking sites in western regions.
