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Relatives of victims in traffic accident in Khabarovsk to receive compensation allowances

Families of those killed in the accident may receive up to 3.7 million roubles

KHABAROVSK, August 8. /TASS/. Relatives of the people killed in a traffic collision of two passenger buses will receive up to 3.7 million roubles in compensation allowances from budgets of all levels and from two insurance companies, press service of the local government said on Saturday.

"In order to request money from the federal budget to pay allowances to the injured and to relatives of the victims in the accident, we addressed Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev," Anatoly Litvinchuk of the regional emergencies commission said. "The issue has been settled already - one million roubles will be paid to families of the victims and 400,000 roubles to those with medium and bad injuries, 200,000 roubles to those with light injuries."

Earlier this week, the local government promised to pay an allowance of 500,000 roubles (7,860 U.S. dollars) to the families of those killed in the accident and 200,000 roubles (3,140 U.S. dollars) to those injured.

Two insurance companies, which insured responsibilities of the companies, which owned the buses, will pay to families of the victims two million roubles, and those injured will receive allowances calculated by a special formula. Thus, families of those killed in the accident may receive up to 3.7 million roubles (about 57.8 thousand US dollars).

The accident involving two passenger buses took place at the 125th kilometre of the Khabarovsk-Komsomolsk-on-Amur highway on Wednesday. The driver of a bus that was heading to Khabarovsk was trying to manoeuvre around the construction machinery repairing the road and lost control of the vehicle. He crossed into the oncoming lane and collided with another bus, after which the bus overturned and fell into a ditch. The two buses were carrying 72 people, including 68 passengers and 4 drivers. A source in the law enforcement agencies has told TASS that about 40 people were trapped in the two vehicles. To release them rescuers’ help was required. Helicopters were used for evacuating the injured.

According to verified data, 15 people were killed and 63 more were injured.

The investigation is underway.