AREQUIPA, Peru: At least 37 people were killed and dozens injured in a tragic bus crash on the Pan-American Highway in southern Peru on Wednesday, November 12. The accident occurred in the Arequipa region on a rocky curve, one of the deadliest traffic incidents in the country’s history.
Police said the bus, operated by the Llamosas company, collided head-on with a pickup truck, causing it to veer off the road and plummet 200 meters into a ravine near the Ocona River. Health officials confirmed that 36 passengers died at the scene, with one more succumbing to injuries at a hospital.
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Among the injured, 25 passengers—including three minors—are receiving medical care. Photos from the scene showed the bus severely damaged, with shattered glass and twisted metal. Despite the crash, the drivers of both vehicles survived.
The District Mayor of Ocona, Waldor Llerena, described the area as “very rugged” and noted that it had a history of fatal accidents. Investigations by the Public Prosecutor’s Office are underway, and the pickup truck driver has been detained.
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The bus was traveling from Chala to the city of Arequipa. The tragedy highlights Peru’s ongoing road safety crisis, which saw over 3,300 fatalities in traffic accidents in 2022 alone.