Two top officials killed in car crash in Russia’s south

19 Dec, 2009 09:37 / Updated 15 years ago

Two high-ranking officials of Russia's republics of North Ossetia and Ingushetia have died and one person has been injured in a car crash in the south of the country.

The driver of the car, carrying Soslan Kanatov and Akhmed Khashagulgov – two heads of the republics' pension funds – lost control of the vehicle, after its tire burst at high speed.

The car then smashed into a gas pipeline, leaving 245 houses without gas supplies.

An investigation is underway.