26 people killed in bus accident in Peru

Lima, July 17: At least 26 people were killed and over a dozen injured in a passenger bus accident in the southern Peruvian region of Ayacucho, local authorities have said.

The vehicle belonging to "Empresa Turismo Molina Union SAC" veered off the road and fell into a ravine about 200 meters deep on the Los Libertadores highway, in the district of Paras, Cangallo province, Ayacucho region on Tuesday morning, Xinhua news agency reported.

The bus was travelling on the Lima-Ayacucho route with around 40 passengers on board, according to Jhonny Rolando Valderrama, head of the National Police Road Protection Division.

Five ambulances from local health facilities, the Fire Department, and the Police Health Service were dispatched to the accident site.