At least 21 have died and 41 are seriously injured after a bus fell from a mountain highway early this morning in Ayacucho department.
The bus fell over 1600 feet from the Nasca Puquio highway in the Lucanas province while transferring passengers from Lima to Abancay. Representatives from the Sanchez bus company blamed difficult weather and bad roads for the accident. Heavy rains and landslides have plagued towns throughout Peru for over a week.
Rescue efforts were hampered by the depth of the ravine. Most survivors are being attended in the local hospital in Puquio, while the more seriously injured were flown to hospitals in Ica and Lima.
This latest tragedy comes just one week after a three-bus collision killed 38 in Ancash department and brings Peru’s total traffic fatalities in the first quarter of 2015 to 177, up 33% from 2014.
Sources:
Caída de bus interprovincial abismo deja 19 muertos en Ayacucho (La Republica)
Ayacucho: Caída de bus un abismo en Puquio dejó 21 muertos (Peru 21)