Investigation under way into major Russian car pileup

RUSSIA, Oct.4. At least four people were killed and 13 injured in a car pileup Tuesday involving 38 vehicles in the Vladimir region, east of Moscow, an Emergencies Ministry official said.

The accident occurred in the morning near the village of Peksha on the Moscow-Nizhny Novgorod highway. Witnesses said it was the result of poor visibility caused by burning peat bogs near the highway.

A local traffic police spokesman said low visibility was the main reason for the accident, but speeding violations had presumably contributed to the fatalities. An investigation into the accident is under way.

A local health department spokesman said five of the injured had been admitted to intensive care, RIA Novosti reported.