Peru Andes Bus Crash Kills 18, Sparks Probe Into Safety Failures

A double-deck bus operated by Expreso Molina Líder Internacional left the highway and tumbled down a slope in the Tarma province of Peru’s central Andes early Saturday, regional health authorities said. The vehicle, which had departed Lima for the Amazon city of Pucallpa, was carrying 66 passengers when it crashed near the Palca district in Junín. At least 18 people were killed and a further 24 were treated for injuries, according to the Tarma Integrated Health Network. Local media citing emergency responders put the injury toll as high as 48. Health officials said two children were among the dead. Prosecutors and traffic police have opened an investigation into the cause of the accident. State news agency Andina reported witness accounts of mechanical problems shortly before the crash, while road-safety experts again pointed to excessive speed and poor highway conditions that contribute to Peru’s high rate of fatal bus accidents.