WEB DESK: Bus lost control and plunged off a highway bridge into a contaminated ravine in Guatemala City early Monday, resulting in a tragic loss of at least 51 lives and leaving some survivors trapped.
A crowded bus was making its way to the capital from San Agustin Acasaguastlan on a bustling route when it fell roughly 20 meters from Puente Belice, a highway bridge that spans a road and a creek.
About 75 people were riding on the passenger bus.
The spokesman, Carlos Hernandez, said the bodies of 36 men and 15 women had been sent to a provincial morgue set up for the accident.
Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo declared three days of national mourning and deployed the country’s army and disaster agency to assist response efforts.
“I stand in solidarity with the families of the victims who today woke up to heartbreaking news. Their pain is my pain,” Arevalo said on social media.
