A bus plummeted into a ravine from a mountain route in northern Peru, killing at least 25 passengers and injuring more than a dozen, local authorities said Monday.
According to the local official Olga Bobadilla, the incident occurred on a potholed dirt road in the Andean region of Cajamarca, and the bus fell into an abyss some 200 metres (some 650 feet) deep.
The toll was increased from 23 to 25 later in the day.
Jaime Herrera, the municipal official said, “The bus with more than 50 passengers ended up on the edge of a river, and some of those on board were swept away by the water”.
Rescue workers and firefighters were on the site of the crash, from which the injured were sent to the hospital.
The Celendin municipality proclaimed 48 hours of mourning as dozens of people, many of whom were crying, gathered at a police station near the accident scene, hoping to hear word of their loved ones.
Accidents are common on Peruvian roads due to speeding, poor road conditions, lack of signs, and lax enforcement of traffic laws.
Last year, more than 3,100 people died in traffic accidents across the country.
Authorities are looking into whether the bus was roadworthy.
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