LIMA: At least 21 people were killed and another 20 injured when a bus plummeted into a deep ravine in southern Peru on Tuesday, police said.
The bus, carrying over 40 passengers, was en route from the capital city of Lima to the Andean region of Ayacucho when it veered off a cliff approximately 200 meters (656 feet) high. The accident occurred in the early hours, adding to the challenges faced by rescue teams in the rugged terrain.
Jhonny Valderrama, the director of the highway safety division, spoke on RPP radio about the incident. “The bus lost control and went off the cliff. Rescue operations are underway, and we’ve transported 20 injured persons to the nearest hospitals for urgent medical care,” Valderrama stated.
The rescue teams are working tirelessly to recover bodies from the wreckage, with efforts complicated by the remote and treacherous location of the accident. The exact cause of the accident is still under investigation, but initial reports suggest that the driver might have lost control on the winding and poorly maintained mountain roads.
Peru’s mountainous regions are notorious for their dangerous driving conditions. Accidents are all too common due to a combination of factors including speeding, inadequate road maintenance, insufficient traffic signage, and lax enforcement of driving regulations. Last year alone, the country reported over 3,130 fatalities from traffic accidents.
