TRIPOLI, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Ten people were killed early Monday in a traffic accident on the coastal road in the northern Libyan city of Sirte, local authorities said.
The accident occurred between the areas of Al-Hisha and Al-Wishka when two Mercedes Vito vans collided, according to a statement from the local traffic and licensing department.
One of the vans was carrying nine passengers, while the other had only the driver on board. Both vehicles caught fire following the collision.
Nine of the victims were passengers in the first van, while the tenth fatality was the driver of the second van, the statement said.
Preliminary investigations by the Misrata traffic department suggest that excessive speed and the possibility that one of the drivers fell asleep at the wheel may have caused the accident. ■