DUSHANBE, December 27, 2011, Asia-Plus  -- Four persons were killed and at least two others were injured on December 26 as a minivan with five passengers on board fell into a precipice in Gorno Badakhshan.

According to the Interior Ministry traffic police directorate, the accident took place near the village of Vanjev in the Roshtqala district.

“The driver probably failed to control its Chanhu (eight-seat Chinese minivan) and it fell into the precipice,” said the source.  “Four passengers were killed on the spot, while the driver and one more passenger sustained various injuries and were taken to the Roshtqala central district.”

One more fatal accident took place in Gorno Badakhshan on the same day.  A car Zhiguli and Chinese Chanhu minivan collided on the 60th kilometer of the highway from Khorog, the administrative center of Gorno Badakhshan to Dushanbe.  As a result of the collision, one of passengers of the minivan died.

The causes of the accidents are under investigation.  

The Chinese Hafei and Chanhu minivans first appeared in Tajikistan around 2006, and drivers and passengers affectionately dubbed them the Tangem, named after a female Korean soap opera star popular on local television.