Ten killed in Ecuadorian Amazon highway crash

Quito: Ten people died in a highway traffic accident in southeast Ecuador's Amazonian province of Morona Santiago, the national emergency service said.

The ECU 911 Integrated Security Service, Ecuador's emergency hotline, received a report of the accident at 05:22 local time early Sunday, saying a pickup truck fell into a ravine over the Paute River, in the Bella Union district of the community of Mendez, and became trapped between rocks, according to local media.

The head of the Santiago de Mendez Fire Department, John Cordero, confirmed that 10 people were killed, including several minors belonging to two families, reports Xinhua news agency, quoting local media.

Preliminary reports from the National Police said the truck veered off the road and overturned.

Emergency and fire department rescue teams were dispatched to the site to recover the bodies.

Traffic accidents are a leading cause of death in Ecuador, mainly due to speeding and inexperienced drivers on the road, according to authorities.