A quiet night on a mountain road turned into a terrible tragedy when a passenger bus plunged off a highway in Peru Arequipa region after colliding with a pickup truck. The bus, heading toward the city of Arequipa from a nearby mining district around 12:30 a.m., went off the road and fell about 200 metres (650 ft).
Around 60 people were on board. Early reports say 36 people died at the scene and one more died later in hospital, bringing the confirmed death toll to at least 37. About 20 passengers were injured and rushed to nearby clinics. Photos from the scene show the pickup’s front crushed and the bus lying on its side amid scattered debris across rocky ground.
Officials say the pickup driver tested positive for alcohol, and investigators are piecing together how the crash happened. Locals pointed out this stretch of road has seen deadly accidents before authorities say another bus crash years ago in the same spot killed 50 people.
Peru records thousands of road deaths each year, often blamed on risky driving and hazardous mountain roads. This latest crash follows other deadly bus accidents earlier this year and underlines how dangerous travel can be across the country’s high, winding routes. Emergency teams are continuing their work as families wait for answers and for news about loved ones.
