At least 25 people were killed after a bus plunged into a ravine from a mountain in Peru. (Representative)
Lima:
At least 25 people were killed and more than a dozen injured when a bus plunged into a ravine from a mountain road in northern Peru, local authorities said Monday.
Local official Olga Bobadilla told RPP radio that the incident occurred late Sunday on a potholed dirt road in the Andean region of Cajamarca, “and the bus fell into an abyss” some 200 meters deep.
The toll was updated later in the day from an initial 23 to 25.
The bus with more than fifty passengers ended up at the edge of a river and some of the occupants were swept away by the water, according to municipal official Jaime Herrera.
Rescue workers and firefighters were at the scene of the accident, from where the injured were evacuated to the hospital.
The municipality of Celendin declared 48 hours of mourning as dozens of people, many crying, gathered at a police station near the crash site, desperate for news of their loved ones.
Accidents are common on Peruvian roads due to excessive speed, poor road conditions, lack of signs and poor enforcement of traffic rules.
Last year, the country recorded more than 3,100 deaths from road accidents.
Authorities are investigating whether the bus was roadworthy.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Our staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
