Ms Leena Luhtanen, Minister of Transport and Communications, on Äänekoski accident

A bus-truck collision that happened last night in Äänekoski is the worst road accident ever recorded in Finland.

- The gravity of the accident has shocked us all. The lost human lives cannot be replaced and we all share the sorrow. I want to express my deepest condolences and sympathy to the relatives of the victims and the injured, Minister Luhtanen says.

- The accident and its causes will be thoroughly examined. Ministry of Transport and Communications lends its full support to swift investigation into the causes of the accident, she says.

Minister Luhtanen will travel to the scene of the accident this morning.

For further information, please contact: Mr Perttu Puro, Special Adviser to the Minister of Transport and Communications, tel. +358 40 779 3436