A tragic bus accident occurred in southern Peru on Tuesday, resulting in the deaths of at least 26 people and injuring 14 others. The bus, which was traveling from Lima to the Andean region of Ayacucho, plunged off a cliff approximately 200 meters (656 feet) high. Highway safety official Jhonny Valderrama provided an updated toll, correcting earlier reports of 21 dead and 20 wounded.

The injured, including the bus's two co-drivers, were transported to nearby hospitals, while rescue teams worked to retrieve bodies from the difficult-to-access crash site. Outside the Mariscal Hospital in Ayacucho, anxious relatives awaited news about their loved ones. Juan Ayquipa, whose brother was on the bus, voiced frustration about the poor condition of the roads and the government's failure to maintain them.

Peru's mountainous and winding roads are notorious for accidents, often caused by speeding, inadequate road maintenance, insufficient traffic signage, and lax enforcement of driving regulations. In 2023, the country recorded over 3,100 deaths from more than 87,000 traffic accidents. This latest tragedy follows a similar bus crash in May on the same road, which claimed 17 lives.

Transport Minister Raul Perez expressed his condolences to the victims' families and stated that the cause of the accident has yet to be determined. Official data indicates that 70% of road accidents in Peru are due to human factors such as driver incompetence or fatigue.