A bus, carrying Ukrainian tourists, collided with a Polish truck on Friday evening on a motorway in the direction of Trieste in Italy, injuring 14 people, the ANSA news agency reports.

"Four people were seriously injured, ten more are in serious, but not life–threatening condition as a result of a terrible collision that occurred at 19:30 [on Friday] on a three-lane section of the A4 motorway between San Giorgio di Nogaro and Latisana (Udine) in the direction of Trieste. In the bus that collided with a Polish refrigerator truck carrying vegetables and fruits, there were Ukrainian tourists returning to their country," the agency said on its website.

It is noted that about 30 passengers were able to get out of the bus on their own, but the driver and six people, including a child, were trapped in the damaged metal sheets of the vehicle.

Rescuers first of all released the four most seriously injured, they were transferred to two medical teams that arrived by helicopter.

The victims were urgently transported to hospitals, the condition of several of them is assessed as critical. Several dozen more people were injured, but their lives are not in danger.