QUITO, June 14 (Xinhua) -- At least 10 people were killed and one was injured early Sunday in a road crash near Zapotal, a rural area in the coastal province of Santa Elena in southwestern Ecuador, officials said.
According to Ecuador's Transit Commission and the ECU 911 emergency response system, the accident was reported at 4:14 a.m. local time after a pickup truck carrying several people collided head-on with a truck that caught fire after the impact.
The crash caused severe damage to both vehicles and prompted the deployment of rescue teams to put out the flames and respond to the emergency.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash and the circumstances of the collision.
Road accidents are one of the main causes of death in Ecuador, due mainly to speeding and driver error, according to authorities. ■
