28 dead, 10 injured in bus accident in southern Bolivia

28 dead, 10 injured in bus accident in southern Bolivia

2011-06-28 05:03:28 GMT+7 (ICT)

TARIJA, BOLIVIA (BNO NEWS) -- Bolivian authorities on Monday informed that 28 people died and 10 more were injured in a bus accident in the southern city of Tarija, the state-run ABI news agency reported.

The accident took place on Sunday as a bus fell off a cliff in Cuesta de Sama in Tarija. The vehicle, owned by Transporte interdepartamental Copa Moya, was travelling on the Villazon-Tarija road.

Preliminary reports indicate that the driver lost control of the vehicle due to the low visibility caused by a dense fog. The bus fell about 120 meters after missing a curve in an area known as "La Antena."

Placido Arroyo, chief of the Tarija police, said that among the 28 fatal victims there were two toddlers, 13 men and 13 women. Police has not ruled out that the accident could have been caused by speeding or malfunctioning of the bus.

The ten people injured in the accident were transported to the San Juan de Dios de Tarija Hospital; some of them were in critical condition, according to the hospital's director Olga Mora.

Chief Arroyo added that this was not the first time that a bus from Copa Moya had an accident. In this way, authorities launched an investigation to determine of the vehicles of this company are in adequate conditions to provide transportation services.

Furthermore, the Copa Moya-owned bus was carrying 38 passengers but under the Bolivian Transit law, a vehicle transporting people between provinces must not carry more than 22 individuals.

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