31 Dead As Bus Plunges Into Ravine In Guatemala
At least 31 people lost their lives, while many others were left injured on Monday morning when a bus carrying 75 passengers plunged into a ravine in Guatemala City, authorities confirmed.
The accident occurred on the Puente Belice bridge, a major highway crossing at the northern entrance to the capital.
The bus, which was travelling from San Agustín Acasaguastlán in the El Progreso department, approximately 90 kilometres (56 miles) northeast of the city, veered off the bridge and crashed into a river below, which is contaminated with effluent.
Emergency responders rushed to the scene, recovering 31 bodies from the wreckage while working to rescue others trapped inside. According to Mynor Ruano, a spokesperson for the city’s fire department, at least 10 injured passengers were pulled from the wreck and taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Several others remain in critical condition.
Images shared by the fire department on social media depicted the devastating scene, with the bus partially submerged in water and victims’ bodies scattered nearby.
Guatemala City Mayor Ricardo Quiñónez stated that emergency services had been mobilized to assist in rescue operations, while traffic police worked on establishing alternate routes in the affected area.
The cause of the crash remains unknown, but authorities have launched an investigation to determine what might have led to it.
31 Dead As Bus Plunges Into Ravine In Guatemala is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
