Bus plunges off bridge in Montenegro, 16 dead June 24, 2013 - 16:19 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A bus has plunged off a bridge over the Moraca river in central Montenegro, killing 16 people and injuring at least 30 others, local officials say, according to BBC News. The bus toppled 40m into a ravine 30km (18 miles) north of the capital Podgorica. Officials said there were almost 50 people on board, and all the victims were Romanian nationals. The cause of the accident - which happened during a rain storm - is now being investigated. Montenegro's Interior Minister Rasko Konjevic described the crash as "an extremely serious accident", saying a number of people were "in a life-threatening condition". The officials say the injured are being treated in hospital in Podgorica. Most of those on the bus were pensioners who had left Romania for a holiday, Romanian media reported. But a child was said to be among those hurt, believed to have been standing on the bridge at the time of the crash. Because of the difficult terrain, it took rescuers some time to move all the victims from the ravine. Romanian ambassador to Montenegro, Mihail Florovici, visited the injured in hospital, describing the incident as a "huge tragedy". The narrow winding roads in the mountainous region are notorious for traffic accidents.   Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads.   Partner news |  Latest news Cyprus parliament honors Armenian genocide victims  Acting House President Zacharias Koulias noted that April 24 marks the “black anniversary” of the Armenian genocide.Armenia PM, France envoy discuss regional matters Issues related to the consistent development of Armenia-France cooperation were discussed.Azerbaijan razes historic Armenian church to ground Azerbaijan has demolished the historic Armenian Church of St. John the Baptist (known as Kanach Zham).Russia to begin assessing migrant workers' speaking skills Rosobrnadzor is planning to change the Russian language exam for migrant workers and include an assessment of speaking skills |
