Map Shows Route of Fatal Tourist Bus Crash in Primorye

A horrific accident involving a Primoravtotrans tourist bus occurred in the Khasansky District of Primorye on the evening of January 22. A car carrier driven by a Chinese driver crashed into the bus, resulting in three deaths and five injuries.

Primoravtotrans is the largest motor transport company in the Russian Far East. In 2000, the company was appointed the official carrier for regular bus routes to China and currently operates several passenger services to the following Chinese cities: Harbin, Mudanjiang, Jixi, Suifenhe, Mishan, Dongning, Yanji, and Hunchun.

VLADIVOSTOK1.RU found out that the bus was traveling from the Chinese city of Hunchun to Vladivostok, and the tragedy occurred near the village of Barabash, at the 56th kilometer of the Razdolnoye–Khasan road.

Based on the route schedule and approximate calculations, it can be concluded that the accident most likely involved the last or second-to-last scheduled bus (816/7 or 816/9) from Hunchun to Vladivostok. It left Krasnino between 16:40 and 16:50, and the accident occurred at approximately 19:00 or later, as the first police report appeared at 19:46.

The road along this route is very winding, and in some places very narrow with sharp turns, but despite this, it is used to transport tourists to Hunchun. Also, the entire route passes through the territory of the Land of the Leopard National Park, and therefore there is a speed limit of 70 kilometers per hour (43 mph) on many sections.

In the video we created, it is noticeable from the turn where the accident occurred that the guardrails are damaged, as this section is very prone to accidents.

On the morning of January 23, employees of the Ministry of Health and specialists decided to transfer the citizens injured in the accident who were in serious condition at the Khasansky District Hospital to one of the hospitals in Vladivostok. Another patient is under observation at the «Tysyachokoechnaya» hospital.