Bus blast kills 21 in Tajikistan

A powerful blast killed all 21 passengers on board when a bus running on liquefied gas collided with another bus in western Tajikistan, police said today. The accident yesterday occurred in a rural area 50km south of the Central Asian state's capital of Dushanbe, police said, adding only 15 bodies could be identified.

Blasts involving gas-powered vehicles are not uncommon in the impoverished mountainous nation where many drivers use liquefied gas instead of pricey petrol.

However, yesterday's death toll was the largest one to date. - Reuters