Guatemala City, Feb 11 (V7N) — At least 55 people were killed on Monday when a passenger bus plunged into a ravine in Guatemala City, making it one of the deadliest road accidents in Latin America in recent years, authorities said.

The bus, carrying around 70 people, crashed through a guardrail before tumbling 65 feet (20 meters) into a river filled with sewage and debris, complicating rescue efforts.

53 victims were pronounced dead at the scene, according to Public Prosecutor’s Office spokesperson Moises Ortiz.
Two more died after being rushed to San Juan de Dios Hospital, where several others remain in critical condition.

Firefighters struggled for hours in the murky waters to retrieve bodies trapped in the wreckage.

Videos from the scene show rescue teams passing bodies up a steep slope while distraught families gathered at a makeshift morgue in a nearby community hall.

Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo declared a three-day national mourning period, calling it a “difficult day for the nation.”

The Public Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation, while Communications Minister Miguel Angel Diaz confirmed that the 30-year-old bus was still licensed to operate. Officials are probing whether overcrowding was a factor.

The driver reportedly lost control, hitting multiple small vehicles before going over the edge.
The bus broke through a metal barrier and fell into the river below. Rescuers described dangerous conditions, with polluted water and debris slowing recovery efforts.

The bus was traveling from San Agustin Acasaguastlan (El Progreso department, 90 km northeast of Guatemala City).

This is the latest in a series of tragic road disasters in Latin America, where aging buses, poor infrastructure, and overloading often contribute to deadly crashes.

2018 – Peru: 52 people killed when a bus fell off a cliff onto a beach near Lima.
2015 – Brazil: 54 dead after a tourist bus crash in Santa Catarina.

END/WD/RH/