An accident early Monday, February 10, claimed the lives of at least 51 people when a bus plunged off a highway bridge into a ravine filled with wastewater in Guatemala City, reported Reuters.The overcrowded vehicle was travelling from the town of San Agustin Acasaguastlan toward the capital when it veered off Puente Belice, a major highway bridge, and fell approximately 20 metres. Survivors were left trapped in the wreckage as rescue teams worked through the morning.
Carlos Hernandez, a spokesperson for the city’s fire department, confirmed that the victims included 36 men and 15 women, whose bodies had been transported to a temporary morgue. Graphic images shared by emergency responders showed the bus partially submerged, surrounded by victims’ bodies.
Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo announced three days of national mourning and mobilised the army and disaster response teams to support rescue and recovery operations.“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.
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