At least 26 people died and seven others were injured early today after a bus plunged 200 meters down a ravine in northern Peru, police said.
The bus veered off a mountain road near the town of Otuzco some 570 kilometers north of Lima.
"So far, we've recovered 26 bodies, and seven people have been hurt," said Asto Moreno, an official with Otuzco's police force.
Officer Victor Paez of the La Libertad highway police said the cause of today’s crash is not immediately clear, though he said there have been heavy rains in the area some 600 miles north of the Lima, the capital.
The victims of the crash include three doctors, two nurses and several rural school teachers. Forty-three passengers were aboard the bus of the Horna line when it left the town of Huamanchuco headed toward the regional capital of Trujillo. Authorities blamed the region's treacherous, winding roads, the poor condition of the vehicle and driver error for the accident.
Road accidents are common in the Peruvian Andes due to poorly maintained roads, inconsistent vehicle maintenance, and the propensity of overworked bus drivers to speed.
In 2011, 1,124 people were killed and 2,583 injured in 1,108 highway accidents, according to the latest official figures.
Saturday 13 April 2013
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/325714/at-least-26-dead-peru.html
0 comments:
Post a Comment