A couple in their 70s were killed and dozens were injured Friday when their sport utility vehicle was involved in a collision with two microbuses in Hokkaido, and more than 30 people were taken to hospitals, police said.
The accident occurred around 7 a.m. on a bridge on a national route in the town of Kimobetsu in the southwest of the prefecture. Police and local fire officials believe the SUV veered into the oncoming lane, hit a small bus and then collided with another bus following from behind.
The couple who died in the SUV were identified by police as Mamoru Nakajima, 79, who was driving the vehicle, and his wife, Haruyo, 76.
The small buses were carrying a combined 43 people, including workers on their way to a food-processing plant in Kimobetsu. Two people sustained serious injuries, including a broken rib, and 32 received hospital treatment.