Police said Sunday that 16 people, including children, died in Peru when their bus plunged into a 200-metre-deep chasm.
The accident occurred on Saturday between the cities of Mazamare and Puerto Ucuba in the Junin (central) area in the jungle.
“We have the death toll: 16 dead and one injured as a result of a minibus falling into a 200-metre-deep chasm,” a spokesman for the Mazamare police station told AFP.
The minibus was carrying farmers who, according to the same source, were going to “work on their farms.” Among the bodies recovered by police and firefighters were children, women and the elderly, in addition to that of the bus driver.
One passenger survived but was taken to a hospital in Gonen with injuries.
Authorities launched an investigation into the incident.
Such accidents are not uncommon in Peru due to speeding, poor road conditions, lack of signs and traffic lights, and negligent authorities.
In February, a bus crashed into a rock in Tayabamba, northern Peru, killing 20 people and injuring about 30.
