All 16 people in large car accident in Abkhazia survive

All 16 people injured in a major accident near the town of Pitsunda in Abkhazia have survived.

The head doctor of the Gagra hospital Vyacheslav Argun says nine of them have been still hospitalized with serious injuries – fractures of both collarbones, fractures of the shoulder and spinal injuries.

Among the hospitalized are two local residents, the rest are Russian tourists.

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The accident occurred on July 8: a tourist minibus with Russian tourists collided with a car. The minibus turned over.

This is the second major traffic accident in Abkhazia. Prior to that, in the city of Gudauta, a minivan crashed into a minibus taxi. The driver died, and ten people were hospitalized.

Fatal traffic accidents in Abkhazia occur with such regularity that the situation on the roads and the number of dead and injured people are compared by some locals to wartime.

In September 2018, the Prime Minister of Abkhazia Gennady Gagulia died in a road accident. His car collided with a passenger car, which was driving in the oncoming lane, and fell into a ditch.

Every year, an average of 70 people die on the roads in Abkhazia. But this statistic only takes into account deaths recorded at the scene.

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