Advertisement
Advertisement
Americas
Get more with myNEWS
A personalised news feed of stories that matter to you
Learn more
The wreckage of a bus that fell into a ravine in Huaccoto, Churcampa province, Peru on Monday. Photo: EPA-EFE / Agencia Andina / Handout

Bus plunges into ravine in Peru, killing 25

  • Investigation under way after bus travelling between two Andean towns careened down a 200-metre ravine
  • Accidents frequently occur along Peruvian highways due to speeding, poor road conditions
Americas
Agencies

A bus plummeted from the edge of a narrow mountain road in southeastern Peru on Monday, killing 25 people including two children, according to authorities.

The accident occurred before dawn when the bus travelling between two Andean towns careened down a 200-metre (656-foot) ravine in the region of Huancavelica, a police official said.

“The toll is 25 dead and 34 injured,” Defence Minister Jorge Chavez said.

Images of the site showed the battered bus lying on its side near a river, with debris and personal items strewn around.

The scene of the bus accident. Photo: Anco Municipality via AFP

Police and rescuers combed the scene, while onlookers watched from the narrow dirt road up above.

“We are very sorry for the accident,” Angie Cabrera, a representative for the company Molina Union, told local media from a hospital in Ayacucho.

President Dina Boluarte, in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, conveyed her condolences to the victims’ loved ones.

Peru’s transport supervisory agency (SUTRAN) said early investigations showed the bus appeared to have an up-to-date safety inspection and accident insurance.

An accident in the same region last month left 13 people dead and five seriously injured.

Accidents frequently occur along Peruvian highways due to speeding, poor road conditions, lack of signage and poor enforcement of traffic rules.

The World Health Organization estimated 4,414 road fatalities in Peru in 2019, or 13.6 per 100,000 inhabitants.

Agence France-Presse and Reuters

Post