At least 25 people were killed when a bus carrying passengers plunged into a 650-foot deep ravine while traveling through a mountain road in the South American country of Peru. Many more people were injured in this incident.
At least 25 people were killed and more than a dozen injured after a bus plunged off a mountain road in northern Peru into a ditch, local authorities said Monday.
The incident happened late Sunday night on a potholed dirt road in the Andean region of Cajamarca, and the bus fell about 200 meters (about 650 feet) deep.
Immediately after the accident, 23 people were reported dead, but this information was later updated to 25.
Municipal official Jaime Herrera said the bus carrying more than 50 passengers plunged into a river and some of the passengers were washed away.
Rescue workers and firemen are at the scene of the accident and the injured have been shifted to the hospital. Apart from this, Celendin municipality declared 48 hours of mourning after the accident and loss of life. Authorities are checking whether the bus was roadworthy.
Bus accidents are very common in Peru. Accidents occur frequently, especially at night and on mountain highways. In addition, high speeds, poor road conditions, lack of road signs, and poor enforcement of traffic rules often cause such accidents on Peruvian roads. Last year, the South American country registered more than 3,100 deaths in road accidents.
