DUSHANBE, August 7, 2008, Asia  -- New details emerged on an August 5 traffic accident in Sughd’s Ayni district. 

According to the Ministry of Interior (MoI), it turned out it was not one traffic accident.  There were three separate accidents in the Ayni district that occurred during the period from 9:30 p.m. of August 5 to 1:30 a.m. of August 6 with an interval of several hours, the source at a MoI said.  Fifteen persons, including at least three children, were killed and six other persons were injured in those accidents.  The accidents took place on the 197th kilometers of the Dushanbe-Khujand highway.        

“All three cars fell into the Fon-Daryo River,” said the MoI source, “As a result of the accidents, fifteen persons, including several children, were killed and six others were injured.”

The search-and-rescue operation had been carried out for several hours until it had become known that all those 15 reported missing had died.  

According to the Ayni emergency management agency, only body of one woman has been found so far.  She was identified as Tovous Bukhoriyeva.          

The cause of the accidents is under investigation.  According to the preliminary information, the accidents were caused by lack of attention of the drivers.