Peru: Dozens Killed After Bus Plunges Off Highway

Facts

• At least 24 people died Monday after a bus traveling from Peru's south-central region of Ayacucho to Huancayo, the capital of the Junin region, veered off a mountainous road and plunged down a slope, according to Molina Union — the bus company.¹
• Defense Minister Jorge Chávez put the death toll of the crash, in which the bus fell down a 656-foot ravine, at 25, adding 34 were injured. Images appear to show the battered bus on its side near a river, with debris and personal belongings strewn about.²
• Mayor of the nearby Anco district, Manuel Zevallos, said the road on which the bus fell had endured an avalanche a month ago but hadn't been repaired. Local media also reported that 12 of the injured were treated and released while nine others were sent to a larger hospital, one of which was in serious condition.³
• Peru's transportation authority (SUTRAN) said preliminary investigations into the accident showed Molina Union did have the required accident insurance and had passed a vehicle inspection.¹
• Accidents like this are common in Peru due to reckless driving, poor road and vehicle conditions, and rugged geography, with the National Road Safety Council estimating that around 3K people die and 55K are injured in road accidents in the country every year.³
• According to the World Health Organization, there were an estimated 4,414 road fatalities in Peru in 2019, or 13.6 per 100K inhabitants.²

Sources: ¹Al Jazeera, ²South china morning post and ³La prensa latina media.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Cbc. Stories like this emerge all the time in Peru, with road accidents causing thousands of deaths every year. For two decades now, experts have been pointing to the country's dilapidated infrastructure as the main culprit, and for just as many years, those calls have fallen on deaf ears. How many more have to die before the government finally implements the simple policy of building safe roads?
• Narrative B, as provided by Al Jazeera. While these crashes are always tragic, it's important to remember that first responders have already been able to treat the wounded and send those in need to the hospital. Furthermore, the transportation ministry has quickly responded to the incident and will work to uncover how this bus crash occurred.