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Russian bus, petrol transporter crash, 20 dead


    MOSCOW (Reuters) - At least 20 people died when a bus and a petrol tanker collided in southern Russia on Friday, a local official said.

    "Twenty people died and 9 were wounded," emergency ministry spokeswoman Viktoria Tarasova told Reuters.

    The two vehicles crashed head on near the village of Samarskoye in the Rostov region, Vesti-24 television reported.

    Dozens of rescue workers were seen around the two damaged vehicles, which did not catch fire, television images showed.

    The drivers of both vehicles died, Interfax news agency reported, citing a member of the rescue team.

    The emergency ministry said there were 27 passengers on board the bus, which was travelling from Krasnodar to the city of Volgodonsk in the Rostov region.

    An investigation has been opened into the crash, ITAR-TASS news agency reported.

    (Writing by Conor Humphries)