[foonlesse]

Thu Jul 05 2012 10:46

At least 11 people have died and 15 others injured in a crash between a truck and a minibus in Chile.

The vehicle were travelling in opposite directions when the truck's trailer, which was loaded with wood, detached.

The trailer then crossed into the middle of the road and hit the side of the bus.

It happened in Bio Bio which is 634 kilometres south of the capital city of Santiago.

Four men, including the bus driver, five women and two children were among the dead.

One passenger said the force of the crash caused him to lose consciousness.

Another witness said: "The loaded truck jumped up and then the driver lost its stability because of the speed
he was travelling in heading down the hill".

Although police have not determined the cause of the crash, rain may have been a factor.