AT least 27 people were killed in Mexico when a passenger bus careered off a road and plummeted 80ft into a ravine on Wednesday.
Tragic footage from the scene in the southern state of Oaxaca showed the mangled wreckage of the vehicle lying on its side at the bottom of a steep cliff as rescuers crowded in.
3
3
“According to a preliminary toll, 27 people died and 17 injured were transferred to different hospitals in the region for medical attention,” said Oaxaca state prosecutor Bernardo Rodriguez Alamilla.
He added that an investigation had been launched into the cause of the accident, with early indications suggesting mechanical failure.
At least six of the injured were reported to be unconscious and in serious condition when they were rushed to hospital.
The bus set out from Mexico City to carry passengers to a number of tiny, remote mountain villages in the impoverished Mixteca region.
“The driver of the vehicle presumably lost control… and unfortunately it fell into a ravine more than 25 meters (80 feet) deep,” Oaxaca Interior Minister Jesus Romero said.
He added that a toddler was among the deceased.
The accident happened in a mountainous area home to remote and largely indigenous communities, winding roads and steep ravines.
The route and the possessions, bundles and baskets strewn amid the wreckage suggests the victims were people who worked in manual labour in the capital, and were likely returning to their home towns when the accident occurred.
“We deeply regret the accident that occurred in Magdalena Penasco,” Oaxaca state governor Salomon Jara wrote on social media, offering condolences to the families of the deceased.
“Our government personnel are already working on the rescue operation and to provide all the support to the injured people,” he said.
Deadly road accidents are common in Mexico, usually due to high speeds, poor vehicle conditions or driver fatigue.
Many people rely on buses, mostly operated by small transportation companies serving remote communities with ageing vehicles.
Crashes involving freight trucks have also increased on the country’s highways.
The same day a fiery smash involving cargo vehicles left eight people injured on a highway in the central state of Queretaro, authorities said.
In May, at least 18 Mexican tourists died when their bus plunged into a ravine in the western state of Nayarit.
The same month, 29 people, including a baby, where killed in a horror crash when a minibus collided with a lorry on a highway in the northeastern state of Tamaulipas.
Road safety campaigners have repeatedly called for stricter regulations to avoid such catastrophes.
Iona Cleave
Source link
