Local authorities said on Monday that a bus in northern Peru had crashed into a ravine from a mountain route, resulting in at least 23 fatalities and over a dozen injuries.
The tragedy occurred late on Sunday on a potholed dirt road in the Andean area of Cajamarca, “and the bus fell into an abyss” that was around 200 metres (650 feet) deep, according to local official Olga Bobadilla, who spoke with RPP radio.
More than fifty people were on the bus when it came to rest on a riverbank, and several of them were carried away by the water, according to municipal official Jaime Herrera.
Firefighters and rescue personnel were on the scene of the collision, where the injured were taken to a hospital via helicopter.
The town of Celendin observed 48 hours of silence as several
Accidents are frequent on Peruvian roads due to speeding, poor road conditions, lack of signs and poor enforcement of traffic rules.
Last year, the country registered more than 3,100 deaths from traffic accidents.
Authorities are investigating whether the bus was roadworthy.
