A bus full of tourists recently plunged off a 160-foot gorge killing 12 people and injuring at least 30. The terrifying accident happened on January 3 in Pasto, Colombia.
The bus was traveling on the Pan-American Highway when it ended up swerving off the road, plunging into a gorge. The impact caused the bus to collapse on its side and crumple. At the time, the vehicle was carrying 42 people. Following the accident, first responders rushed the injured passengers to nearby hospitals.
At this time, authorities haven't released the identities of the deceased or injured. María Constanza García Alicastro, Colombia's Minister of Transport, shared a heartbreaking tribute to the deceased. They wrote, "My deepest condolences to the families affected by this tragedy and I express my full solidarity on behalf of the national government in these difficult times."
Bus Just Latest Accident
While an exact cause hasn't been determined, the running theory right now is that mechanical failure caused the bus to swerve off the highway and into the gorge. Prior to the accident, it showed no issues in navigating the various twisting turns of the highway.
It is understood to have navigated roads with sharp bends and curves before the accident. It's not the first accident of its kind, but it's always a tragedy when something like this occurs. Just last month, a truck carrying a wedding party ended up plummeting off a bridge into a river. The resulting crash killed 71 people.
That incident happened in Ethiopia. Several other people were injured in the crash. A statement read, "It is confirmed that 4 of the passengers were treated at Bona General Hospital and 2 of the injured are being treated at Hawassa Referral Hospital." Meanwhile, last November, a bus carrying more than 60 plummeted off a cliff in India. At 36 people died in the crash.
"Relief and rescue efforts must be carried out quickly, the district administration has been told," Deepak Rawat, a Uttarakhand official, said at the time. "At the scene of the tragedy, the SDRF personnel and local government are moving quickly to evacuate the injured and transport them to the closest medical facility for care."
Wherever you are, be safe on the road ways.
