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Five people have died following a horror minibus and car crash in Scotland.

The smash was on the A96 in Moray, three miles east of the town of Keith on the road to Huntly just before midnight last night.

Five people are also injured with one of those thought to have life-threatening injuries.

Police, firefighters and paramedics were sent to the scene of the two-vehicle accident, along with an air ambulance and coastguard helicopter.

The casualties were taken to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness.

Have you been affected by this crash? Email webnews@mirror.co.uk

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At this stage police have not disclosed which vehicles the casualties were in. The car is a Nissan X-Trail.

The Scottish Ambulance Service said one patient was taken airlifted to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness, three were transferred by road to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, a further patient taken to Dr Gray's Hospital in Elgin and a child was transferred to Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital.

An air ambulance was called out but the coastguard helicopter was on scene so the air ambulance was stood down, reports the BBC.

Police Scotland say the road has remained closed as investigations take place at the scene.

Road Policing Sergeant Peter Henderson said: "Motorists are thanked for their patience at this time and we would urge anyone who was in the area last night leading up to the incident at around 11.50pm to please get in touch as our enquiries at the scene continue.

"Our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragic incident at this very sad time."

Richard Lochhead, SNP MSP for Moray told the Evening Express: “This is an awful tragedy. The whole community shares my shock at the scale of the fatalities and injuries.

“All our thoughts are with those directly affected at this very difficult time following what was clearly a very serious incident.

“Clearly the roads were busy with football traffic from Aberdeen last night.

“Indeed, my own sons and my neighbour passed the accident soon after it happened as they were returning home to Moray."

Yesterday evening Aberdeen FC hosted Burnley in a Europa League qualifier.

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A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: “We were alerted at 11.52pm yesterday to reports of a two-vehicle road traffic collision in Moray.

“Operations Control mobilised a number of fire engines to the A96, near Keith, where firefighters assisted their emergency service partners.”

Moray is in the north east of Scotland, between the cities of Aberdeen and Inverness.

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A section of the A96 has been closed with local diversions in place - for the diversion northbound at Huntly take the A920 to Dufftown then onto A941 to the A95 at Craigllachie and follow to Keith for the A96. Reverse for southbound.

Thursday was nightmare on the roads of the UK with two people seriously injured when a double-decker bus overturned and the M6 was closed for 20 miles due to a lorry smash.