A three-year-old girl has died after being fatally injured in a crash in County Durham.
The crash, in which seven people were injured, happened at about 2.30pm today.
A car and a van collided on the A1086 Coast Road between the villages of Horden and Blackhall Colliery.
A blue Peugeot 206, which was travelling from Blackhall Colliery towards Horden, collided with a silver van that was travelling in the opposite direction.
The little girl, who was a passenger in the Peugeot, was later pronounced dead at hospital, Chronicle Live reports.
A 17-year-old girl who suffered life-threatening injuries remains in hospital.
The Peugeot driver and other occupants all sustained serious injuries and were taken to hospital for treatment.
The driver of the van was taken to hospital with minor injuries.
Police officers closed the road for a number of hours while carrying out investigations.
Two air ambulances were called to the scene and reportedly treated some of the injured there before they were taken to hospital.
A North East Ambulance Service spokesperson said: "We were called at 2.33pm to a serious road traffic collision involving three vehicles on the Coast Road on Milton Avenue in Blackhall Colliery.
"We dispatched 13 resources to scene and requested support from the Great North Air Ambulance Service, which also dispatched two helicopters.
"We have treated seven patients with significant injuries and all have now been conveyed to three hospitals in the area."
Durham Constabulary are appealing for anyone who may have witnessed the crash to come forward or may have dashcam footage of the vehicles.
