Twenty-five dead in Peruvian bus plunge

LIMA: At least 25 people were killed and 40 others were injured when a passenger bus plunged more than 300 feet into an abyss in a remote spot in the Cuzco region in southern Peru, officials said.

The accident occurred Saturday in the town of Santa Barbara, three and a half hours from the city of Cuzco.

Twenty-two people died at the scene, including a newborn, and a three-year-old girl along with a man and a woman later died in a hospital in Sicuani where the injured were taken.

Cuzco regional president Edwin Licona said in a statement to Andina that financial support to the relatives of those who died was being considered because they were humble families with limited economic resources.

Licona is to meet with regional transport officials to analyse the situation of the roads and evaluate the qualifications of public transport drivers in the region.

Authorities said the accident appeared to be the driver's fault.

Also Saturday another accident left six dead and 30 injured in the southern region of Arequipa, while on Friday a collision between a truck and a van killed eight people and injured 14 in the southern region of Puno. – Bernama