LIMA, Peru: At least 25 people were killed and more than a dozen injured when a bus plunged off a mountain road into a ravine in northern Peru, local authorities said Monday.
Local official Olga Bobadilla told RPP radio that the accident happened late Sunday on a dirt road in the Andes region, and the bus fell 200 meters deep.
Casualties have been updated from 23 to 25.
Jaime Herrera, a city official, said the bus carrying more than 50 passengers fell over the edge of the river, some of whom were swept away by the water.
Rescue and fire brigades quickly went to the scene and the injured were taken to a hospital.
Dozens of people, many crying, gathered at the police station near the scene of the accident, waiting for the news about their loved ones, and the Celendin municipality declared 48 hours of public mourning.
Accidents often occur on Peruvian roads due to excessive speed, poor road conditions, lack of signs and non-observance of traffic laws.
Last year, more than 3100 people died in traffic accidents in this country.
Officials are investigating whether the bus was roadworthy.
