More than 20 people were injured, according to the country’s authorities. The vehicle had the capacity to carry around 60 passengers and was traveling to the capital Lima.
Rescue teams work at a bus accident in Peru on August 31, 2021 – Photo: Reproduction/Ministry of the Interior
At least 29 people died in a bus accident on Tuesday (31) on a road that cuts through the Peruvian section of the Andes mountain range, local police reported.
About 20 people were injured, according to Peruvian authorities. The vehicle had capacity to carry about 60 passengers and was traveling to the capital Lima.
The accident occurred on a narrow stretch of the Central Highway, which connects Lima to the Serra Central region, near the city of Matucana, 60 km from the capital.
Rescue vehicle searching for survivors of a bus accident in Peru on August 31, 2021 in the Andes mountain range Photo: Reproduction/Ministry of the Interior
According to the France Presse agency, which cited witnesses, the bus crashed into a rock before falling into a 200-meter abyss.
This is the second major road accident in the country in less than a week. On Friday (27) a bus fell into a ravine on a highway in the southeast of the country and killed 17 people.
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National Mourning School Bus Accident: 32 Children Lost… See more
Tanzania holds national funeral for 32 school kids killed in bus crash
The Tanzanian government has disclosed that it will be taking the full expenses of burial arrangements for the over thirty school children who perished in an accident on Saturday.
A national funeral was held for the deceased persons comprising 32 children, two teachers and a driver of the bus in which they were traveling. The bus crashed near Karatu in northern Tanzania Saturday morning.
Thousands of Tanzanians thronged the Sheikh Amri Abeid stadium in Arusha city where the funeral is taking place. The Vice President, Samia Suluhu, was joined by other top government officials at the ceremony.
“The government will improve road infrastructure to lessen road accidents,” she told the crowd. Family members and friends of victims were seen in a sorrowful mood with most shedding tears as the bodies of the deceased arrived.
The country’s legislature has announced a donation of 100 million shillings ($44,700) to families of the victims. Each of the bereaved families according to an official shall be given 1 million shillings ($450) out of the total donations.
The students of the Lucky Vincent English-Medium School in Arusha city were en route to write an examination in Karatu when their bus skidded off the road and fell into a river, the police said.
The accident is believed to have been caused by rainfall in the hilly area, but the police commander says they are investigating the incident. President John Magufuli has commiserated with the families of the students in a statement describing the accident as a “national tragedy”.