Guatemala: At least 43 killed after bus plunges into ravine

The crash scene. Picture: AFP. Via: BBC. 

At least forty-three people have been killed and at least forty more injured after a bus plunged  into a ravine in western Guatemala, according to rescue workers. The crash, the cause of which is unknown, happened in San Martin Jilotepeque, as the bus traveled from Chimaltenango to the state. A spokesperson for the local volunteer fire department, Mario Cruz, said about 90 people had been onboard the bus which had a official capacity of 54 passengers. He said that the death toll included three infants. Many local residents volunteered to assist with the rescue operation, which was hampered by a fast flowing river - emergency crews had to install cables to carry stretchers over the water. Otto Vielman, the mayor of San Martin Jilotepeque, said it appeared that the bus had crashed into a wall of rocks and then fallen from a cliff. Several of those injured were taken to local hospitals, and some to Guatemala city.