44 dead in Peru bus accident

Lima [Peru]: At least 44 people were killed when a double-decker bus plunged down a cliff on the Panamericana Sur Highway in Arequipa in Ocona region on Wednesday.

According to express.co.uk, the accident occurred on a curve of the highway bordered by a huge, mountainous slope leading down to a river.

Emergency personnel, who were present at the site, said that the bodies of the victims which were swept away in the river located below the cliff were recovered.

Police officials have confirmed that 44 people have been killed.

The bus was reportedly carrying 45 passengers. However, according to operator Rey Latino, the death toll was likely to rise as more passengers boarded the bus in the middle.

President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski wrote on Twitter: "My condolences to the relatives of the victims of the transit accident in Arequipa. We have taken all steps to provide immediate rescue support and transfer victims to the closest health centers so they can be attended immediately."

Last month, 52 people died and a dozen others were injured after a bus collided with a truck and fell off a cliff near Pasamayo on the Pan-American Highway.