Seven killed in motorway crash

SEVEN people including an eight year old boy have died in an accident on the A10 Bordeaux-Paris motorway after an articulated lorry and a minibus collided.

The dead included all six people in the minibus; three men aged 40, 58 and 69, two women aged 60 and 63 plus the eight-year-old. The 59 year old lorry driver also died.

The accident happened just after midnight in Gironde near Marcillac on the Paris-bound carriageway when it is thought the refrigerated artic went out of control and mounted the verge before veering back on to the road. The minibus, which was travelling in the same direction, ran into the wreckage.

It is thought the minibus passengers were all Franco-Portuguese from the same family who were returning from holiday in Portugal. The lorry was registered in France.

Gendarmes are investigating the cause of the accident and they say there were no weather problems at the time.

Gironde has suffered a heavy toll of road accidents this year and the latest accident brings the toll to 35 people killed.