At least 23 Russian tourists have been hospitalized following a bus crash in the Chonburi province of Thailand on Friday morning.
According to Thai news portal Phuketwan, the bus, which carried 51 passengers, crashed into a pole around 6:30 a.m. local time after swerving to avoid a collision with another vehicle. Local media reported the crash could have been caused by the driver falling asleep at the wheel.
The injured were taken to hospitals in the nearby towns of Pattaya and Si Racha, RIA Novosti said.
The accident comes only days after a ferry capsized near the beach resort of Pattaya, injuring 20 tourists and killing six others, including a 12-year old Russian boy.
Thailand currently holds the 2013 record for the greatest number of accidents involving Russian tourists vacationing abroad.
Between Jan. 1 and Nov. 10, there were 30 accidents involving Russian tourists in Thailand, which is twice as many as in 2012, Irina Turina, spokeswoman for the Russian Union of the Travel Industry told RIA Novosti.
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