Two men and a woman died and five others were injured when a car and bus collided.

The smash happened on the A90 at Glenbervie in Aberdeenshire at 4.30pm on Tuesday.

Two men and a woman, who were passengers in a red Renault Megane Scenic, were pronounced dead at the scene.

Officers said they were foreign nationals.

Another passenger in the car was seriously injured while the man who was driving the vehicle suffered minor injuries.

A man and a woman who were in a silver Ford B Max were also taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary with non life-threatening injuries.

The driver of a Citylink bus which was also involved in the smash suffered minor injuries. None of the passengers were hurt.

Chief inspector Stewart Mackie said: "Collision Investigators have been working throughout the night and we are hoping to open the A90 to traffic early this afternoon.

"I realise this will have created significant travel disruption to travellers and so I would like to thank them for their patience whilst we dealt with and continue to investigate this tragic incident.

"This would have been a difficult and harrowing scene for those who witnessed the collision and tried to offer assistance. I would like to express my gratitude for their efforts and to also thank the emergency services who dealt with this extremely challenging incident.

"My thoughts remain with everyone affected by this."