At least nine people were killed and 22 others injured on Wednesday when the bus they were travelling in overturned on a road in western Bolivia, police said.
“Nine people lost their lives and 22 were injured,” said regional traffic police chief Nandi Torico, speaking to public television, adding that the injured were transferred to hospitals in the area.
Among the victims was a newborn baby who died shortly after being taken to a medical centre, the officer said.
The accident occurred in the early morning hours in Chayacoyo, a small village about 240 kilometres south of the capital La Paz, on a stretch of road connecting Pisiga, near the border with Chile, to the Andean city of Oruro.
Although the investigation remains at a preliminary stage, police believe the accident was caused by a combination of excessive speed and fatigue on the part of the 24‑year‑old driver.
A breathalyser test carried out on the driver, who was among the injured, returned a negative result.
According to official figures, around 1,400 people lose their lives each year on Bolivia’s roads, a country of approximately 12.5 million inhabitants, mainly due to driver error and mechanical failures.
Source: CNA