4 killed when bus hit land mine in eastern Ukraine

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian officials say a bus accidentally hit a land mine in eastern Ukraine, killing 4 and wounding 11 people.

The Ukrainian Interior Ministry's branch for the Donetsk region said the explosion occurred Wednesday when a bus traveling from Artemivsk to Horlivka took a turn to bypass a checkpoint and hit a land mine on a dirt road. It posted photos of the bus badly disfigured by the blast, its side panel torn off.

The regional administration appointed by the Ukrainian government said on Twitter that the wounded have been taken to a hospital in Artemivsk.

Large areas in eastern Ukraine have been covered with land mines following fierce battles between Russia-backed separatists and Ukrainian government forces. More than 6,000 people have been killed since the conflict flared up in April.