At Least 13 People Dead, 28 Injured After Bus Falls Down 160-Foot Gorge

At least 13 folks had been killed and 28 injured after a bus full of vacationers plummeted down a 160-foot gorge in Colombia.

María Constanza García Alicastro, Colombia’s minister of transport, shared particulars of the tragedy on X (previously Twitter) on Friday, Jan. 3.

She wrote that the accident occurred within the municipality of Tangua on the “road that connects Pasto with Ipiales” within the early morning hours.

“So far, the authorities have reported 13 people dead, 28 injured and 1 unharmed,” she continued, including, “My deepest condolences to the households affected by this tragedy and I specific my full solidarity on behalf of the nationwide authorities in these tough occasions.”

Local Spanish-language information outlet NTN24 reported that the bus was carrying 42 passengers and was driving alongside a stretch of street with “complicated curves” when the accident occurred.

The outlet moreover famous that victims had been rushed to hospitals in Tangua, Ipiales and town of Pasto.

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It is at the moment unclear if any kids had been onboard. The Tolombian Traffic Police are nonetheless investigating the identities of these concerned within the crash, per NTN24.

According to The Sun, authorities at the moment imagine the crash could have been brought on by mechanical failure. 

The bus was headed to the pilgrimage website Santuario de las Lajas, which is a vacationer vacation spot positioned about 4 miles from the Ecuadorian border, based on NTN24.