Lima (EFE).- The road accident that occurred during the early hours of this Monday in the southern Andean region of Huancavelica left 25 dead and 34 wounded and injured, reported the Minister of Defense of Peru, Jorge Chávez.
“The balance is a number of 25 people dead and 34 people wounded and injured; The wounded and injured are being evacuated and treated in different hospitals and clinics,” Chávez told the press after a meeting of the Council of Ministers.
The head of Defense regretted “what happened” and specified that the accident occurred in the jurisdiction of the rural district of Anco, located in the province of Churcampa and the department of Huancavelica, about 650 kilometers from Lima.
“The entire disaster risk care platform has been set up through the National Institute of Civil Defense, with support from firefighters, health personnel and other sectors for the transfer of the bodies of the deceased and the treatment of the injured.” , he added.
Chávez said that “all the capabilities” that the Peruvian Armed Forces have “in planes and helicopters are being used within the framework of development and support in this contingency and emergency situation.”
Multiple victims
The accident occurred around 01:30 local time (06:30 GMT) this Monday when the bus, which was traveling between the cities of Huancayo and Huanta, plunged into the abyss of more than 200 meters deep, for reasons not yet specified, sources said. officers.
A representative of the Molina Unión company, owner of the vehicle, initially confirmed to Canal N the large number of victims and said that the company is “taking charge from the first moment.”
The official Andina agency added that firefighters from the province of Churcampa and the city of Huanta, in the neighboring region of Ayacucho, as well as agents from the National Police from both locations, arrived at the scene of the accident.
Health personnel from the Churcampa Health Network were also sent to participate in the first care tasks for the injured, transferred to health centers in the neighboring regions of Huancavelica and Ayacucho.
Peruvian media reported that 12 of the injured were treated and released, while the others were transferred to the Huanta hospital, where at least one person arrived in serious condition.
The mayor of Anco, Manuel Zevallos, told the RPP radio station that he arrived at the accident area, at kilometer 358 of the Huancayo-Ayacucho Road Network, which, he said, was affected by an avalanche almost a month ago and there was no received maintenance work.
“The Ministry of Transportation never looked at it (…) and practically as a result of that we had an accident. Our health center has collapsed,” he declared.
High accident rate on the roads of Peru
Accidents of this magnitude are common on the roads of Peru, mostly caused by the recklessness of drivers, the poor condition of the roads and the vehicle fleet, and the rugged geographical conditions.
Around 3,000 people die in traffic accidents in Peru every year, most of them due to accidents, and around 55,000 are injured, according to figures from the National Road Safety Council.
