A coach drops from a bridge to Guatemala, at least 51 dead

A road tragedy struck Guatemala on Monday morning when a coach carrying 75 passengers fell below a bridge at the northern entrance to the capital, killing at least 51. It is one of the deadliest accidents that occurred in Latin America, a region marked by many road dramas.

According to the emergency services, the vehicle fell by about 20 meters after crossing a metal barrier and struck several cars. The coach crashed on the roof after his fall. “A unified command was formed with the various rescue institutions in the country,” said José Santizo, spokesperson for firefighters, adding that “we have released a total of 51 bodies” from the wreckage.

Open investigation to determine the causes

The accidentally coach, in service for more than thirty years, ensured the connection between San Agustin Acasagastlan, in the department of El Progreso, and the Guatemalan capital. He switched below the Belize bridge, a major axis of entry into the city.

The authorities have opened an investigation to determine the exact circumstances of the accident. According to the first elements, the driver lost control of the vehicle before hitting several cars and diving into the ravine. “The bus continued straight and has crossed a metal barrier. He then fell into a ravine of about 20 meters until reaching the place where a wastewater river is located, “said firefighter Carlos Hernandez.

A national mourning decreed

The Minister of Communications, Miguel Angel Diaz, said that the vehicle had a transport license in good standing despite its seniority. The investigation will also have to establish whether the coach was carrying an excessive number of passengers. Faced with the magnitude of the disaster, the president of Guatemala, Bernardo Arévalo, decreed a national mourning and expressed his solidarity with the families of the victims. “Today is a difficult day for the Guatemalan family. The tragedy of the Belize bridge is national pain, “he said in a statement.

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This drama recalls other similar tragedies that occurred in the region. In January 2018, 52 people lost their lives in Peru when a coach fell from a hundred -meter cliff. In 2015, in Brazil, 54 passengers were killed in a similar accident in a tourist area in the south of the country.