Six people have been killed in a road collision between two cars on the I/66 route between Heľpa and Závadka nad Hronom in central Slovakia, police said late on Wednesday.
According to early reports, the crash occurred in the evening when two passenger vehicles collided head-on. Emergency services attended the scene, but six people, including a child, were confirmed dead. A child was taken to hospital with injuries.
Police from the Banská Bystrica Region said they are documenting the scene and that the I/66 road remains completely closed in both directions. Drivers have been urged to avoid the area and follow diversion routes.
“Sadly, the crash has claimed several lives,” the Slovak police wrote in a statement on social media.
The cause of the collision is under investigation. Authorities have not said whether the victims’ names will be released.
President Peter Pellegrini expressed his condolences on social media, extending “sincere sympathy to the families and loved ones who have lost their nearest and dearest in this tragedy”.
Condolences were also offered by Alexander Daško, the government’s commissioner for Roma communities, who wrote that “both cars were carrying Roma families”.
The I/66 is a key regional road linking Brezno and Poprad through the Low Tatras.
