Fourteen Mongolian nationals were hurt in a road accident in Russia’s Altai Mountains, five of them are in serious condition, a spokesman for the local emergencies medicine centre told TASS on Friday.

‘All those hurt in the accident are citizens of Mongolia. Five of them are in serious condition,’ the spokesman said.

An Istana passenger minibus rolled over while descending the Chike-Taman pass in the Republic of Altai. The 22-year-old driver lost control of the vehicle which went off road and rolled over. The driver was not drunk. According to preliminary data, the accident was caused by a braking system malfunction.

The 1,925-meter high Chike-Taman pass, with the four-kilometer ascend and descend, is natural sanctuary.

The weather in the area where the accident occurred was fine, with no rain or fog.