At least 37 people have been killed in a bus crash in Peru’s southern Arequipa region, according to authorities.
The accident occurred when a double-decker bus collided with a pickup truck, causing the bus to fall into a 200 meter deep gorge. It is one of the deadliest bus accidents ever recorded in Peru, a country where road deaths are frequent.
Local officials said 36 people died at the scene and one more person died later from his injuries.
There were about 60 people in the bus.
The bus was going from Chala city in Peru’s Caraveli province to Arequipa, the country’s second largest city, when the accident occurred. In the footage of the incident, the bus is seen overturned and the luggage of the passengers is scattered here and there.
truck driver arrested
The 26 injured include an eight-month-old baby and two other children, three of whom are in critical condition.
Fire department spokesman Jack Paez told local outlet TV Peru that the rocky terrain makes rescue efforts more difficult, adding that the accident “has brought grief to many families.”
Peru’s Interior Ministry said police officers were coordinating rescue efforts with firefighters, with a focus on “rescuing people, evacuating the injured and removing bodies.”
Local prosecutors said an investigation would be conducted to determine the responsibility of the truck driver. The driver who survived the accident was caught on the spot. The bus driver was also among the victims of the accident.
Edited by: Dmytro Lyubenko