LIMA
\nAt least 37 people were killed and 24 injured in southern Peru on Wednesday when a double-decker bus plunged into a ravine after colliding with a pickup truck, officials said. The accident in Arequipa is one of the worst in recent years in the South American nation, where road fatalities are frequent.
\nIt occurred at dawn along a stretch of the Panamericana Sur highway that connects Peru with Chile. \u201cWe have a figure of 37 fatalities…in addition to 24 injured,\u201d Walther Oporto, the regional health manager of Arequipa, told media. The death toll could rise as some people were seriously injured in the crash, he said by telephone.
\nThe double-decker bus, operated by the Llamosas company, had departed on Tuesday night from Chala, a town in Caraveli province, and was headed for Arequipa, Peru\u2019s second-largest city. It was carrying more than 60 passengers, including children and elderly people.
\nThe vehicle fell into a ravine approximately 200 meters (650 feet) deep after colliding head-on with the pickup on a bend, according to local media reports citing firefighters. The bus rolled down the ravine and ended up on a riverbank. Fire department spokesman Jack Paez said the rocky terrain was hampering rescue efforts involving about 30 police officers and firefighters. \u201cThis accident…has brought grief to many families,\u201d he told media Peru.
\nA priest arrived at the scene and prayed over the bodies lined up on the riverbank, according to images from the prosecutor\u2019s office. \u201cI ask for justice, that the full weight of the law be applied to the driver of the truck\u201d thought to have caused the accident, a grieving relative who lost his father and brother told local media. President Jose Jeri, in a message on X, extended condolences to those affected.
\nThe truck\u2019s driver, who survived, was detained after testing possible for alcohol, police chief Olger Benavides told reporters.The bus driver was killed, the Llamosas transport company said. Deadly traffic accidents are a common occurrence in Peru due to speeding, drunk driving, poor road conditions, lack of signage and weak enforcement by authorities.
\nThe country\u2019s mountainous topography can also make driving conditions perilous.In February 2018, near the site of Wednesday\u2019s accident, 44 people were killed after a bus plunged into the river below. Last year, 3,173 deaths were recorded on Peru\u2019s roads.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
LIMA At least 37 people were killed and 24 injured in southern Peru on Wednesday when a double-decker bus plunged into a ravine after colliding with a pickup truck, officials said. The accident in Arequipa is one of the worst in recent years in the South American nation, where road fatalities are frequent. It occurred […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":514404,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-514388","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n