Peru passenger bus accident kills at least 19

LIMA, PERU (BNO NEWS) -- At least nineteen people were killed after Wednesday's passenger bus accident in western Peru, local authorities confirmed.

The incident occurred on Wednesday morning at around 10:30 a.m. local time in the Mal Paso area of the district of Colcabamba in Tayacaja Prvonce, when the passenger bus carrying 40 people dropped down a steep gorge.

Authorities confirmed the deaths of nineteen people while at least 10 others were also reported injured. The bus, operated by transport company Ticlla from Huancavelica, was traveling from Huancayo to Churcampa when the driver lost control.

The exact details of the accident remain uncertain, but one version being investigated is that the bus was driving on the wrong side of the road when it another Ticlla bus was heading toward it. The bus then fell down the gorge when the second bus tried to move out of the way. A second version indicates that both buses were traveling at high speeds when one of them was struck before losing control.

Local highway patrol teams arrived at the scene and deployed emergency teams to the area for relief operations.

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