DEADLY BUS CRASH IN PERU’S ANDES MOUNTAINS KILLS 23, INJURES OVER A DOZEN

Wed 17 July 2024:

A bus crash in Peru’s Andes mountains has resulted in at least 23 fatalities and more than a dozen injuries, according to the country’s interior ministry. Emergency crews are struggling to access the remote site of the incident.

Deadly bus crashes are common on Peru’s hazardous mountain roads. In September, a similar crash near Huancavelica claimed 24 lives. In 2023, Peru recorded over 3,130 deaths from more than 87,000 crashes.

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The interior ministry announced on social media that Peruvian police are conducting a search-and-rescue operation in the Ayacucho region, located in the south-central Andes. Thirteen injured individuals have been evacuated from the crash site.

Jhonny Rolando Valderrama, head of a highway protection division, reported that the crash occurred on the Los Libertadores highway. The bus, carrying over 40 passengers, was en route to Ayacucho from Lima when it veered off a 200-meter (656-foot) cliff in the early morning hours.

“The area is difficult to access for the emergency services,” Valderrama told AFP, noting that an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the crash. Photos shared by news outlets and on social media show a damaged bus lying on its side with debris scattered around.

The cause of the incident has not yet been established. Official data indicates that 70 percent of crashes in Peru are due to human factors such as driver incompetence or fatigue.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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