At least 27 people died and 15 were injured due to the fall of a bus off a cliff on a rural road in the north of Peru. The bus was carrying more than 50 passengers and was heading from the Sorochuco district to the city of Cajamarca.
Now, police and fire brigades are working at the scene of the accident to rescue the bodies of the deceased. The injured, including the bus driver, were taken to the Celendín and Cajamarca hospitals.
Tragedy in Peru: what was the accident that left 27 dead?
peru micro 2.jpg
Among the deceased are two minors.
The accident occurred on a narrow, winding stretch of road where the passenger vehicle It overturned and fell into a precipice of more than 200 meters. The bus ended up at the edge of the mighty waters of the Sendamal River.
According to the Celendín police chief, Commander Hugo Uriarte, In recent years there had not been an “accident of this nature” and he indicated that among the deceased there are two minorsone six years old and another just two months old.
Jaime Herreraspokesperson for the municipality of Celendín, also stated that there is a possibility that “there are people swept away by the river because the flow is important.”
Regarding the reasons that led to the accident occurring, Uriarte assured that, according to various testimonies, it occurred due to a driver failure. Furthermore, he assured that “the municipality is investigating the formality of the bus“regarding whether it was in good working order and had security permits to transport passengers.
For his part, the mayor of Celendín, Julio Chavezasked the authorities for a “thorough investigation to determine the causes of the accident.”
The pain of relatives due to the tragedy in Peru
After the incident, dozens of relatives arrived at the police station Sorochuco to recognize and collect the bodies of the rescued victims. For its part, the municipality of Celendín decreed a provincial mourning for 48 hours.
The chief of staff Gustavo Adrianzen He used his
Accidents on Peruvian roads are frequent due to excess speed, the poor condition of the routes, the lack of signage and the lack of control by the authorities. In 2023, Peru recorded a total of 3,138 dead due to traffic accidents, according to the Ministry of Transportation. 70% of accidents are due to human factors due to driver incompetence or fatigue.
