Twelve people – including 10 children – have died in a traffic collision in Russia's Khanty-Mansiysk region, the Interfax news agency has reported.
The crash took place on Sunday afternoon, when a truck hit a bus carrying a children's acrobatics team.
Eyewitnesses claim that the bus split in two after being stuck by the other vehicle, Interfax reported. The bus was returning to the town of Nefteyugansk after taking the children to a sporting competition.
Nineteen crash victims are currently hospitalized, with 12 people in intensive care. Seventeen of the injured are children.
The two drivers involved in the crash now face criminal charges after police found that the bus had not been properly maintained, Interfax reported. Heavy snowfall and poor visibility are also likely to have contributed to the crash, police said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev have sent their condolences, while local authorities have pledged to create a fund to help the victims, Interfax reported.
