Pope says he is deeply saddened by the death of relatives.
After learning of an accident that killed three of his family members in Argentina, the Pope asked all who share his grief to join him in prayer.
BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) Pope Francis was deeply saddened by the deaths of three of his relatives in an accident in Argentina, when the car they were in collided with the back of a truck on a highway, the Vatican said on Tuesday.
A nephew of the pontiff, Emmanuel Bergoglio, who was driving the car, is in serious condition. The accident occurred shortly after midnight on Monday. His wife, 35, and two children, aged 2 years and 8 months, died.
"The Pope has been informed and is deeply saddened by the tragic news. He asks all who share his grief to join him in prayer," the statement on Vatican Radio's website declared.
The truck driver, Raul Pombo, told local television networks that he felt the impact and found Bergoglio's vehicle trapped underneath the truck.
"I started stopping passing cars to ask for fire extinguishers because the car was on fire," Pombo stated.
The local highway patrol chief, Jorge Rainieri, described the impact as "strong," and TV images showed the twisted wreckage of the car. The accident occurred in the central province of Córdoba.
(By Alejandro Lifschitz and Isla Binnie in Rome)