At least 51 people have died and others have been injured when a bus plunged into a polluted ravine outside Guatemala City, according to Guatemalan officials.
Mynor Ruano, a spokesman for the city’s fire service, told reporters on Monday that efforts were underway “to save other people who are trapped” in the wreckage. The bodies of 36 men and 15 women have been sent to a provincial morgue, Al Jazeera reported.
The bus was moving on a busy route in and out of Guatemala’s capital on Monday when it fell from Puente Belice, a highway bridge that crosses over a road and creek.
Footage shared by the fire department on social media showed rescue workers pulling victims out of the contaminated ravine. Images showed the bus upside down, reported Al Jazeera.
Bernardo Arevalo, the president of Guatemala, declared three days of national mourning and deployed the army and disaster agency to help with response efforts.
“I stand in solidarity with the families of the victims who today woke up to heartbreaking news,” he said. “Their pain is my pain.”
The President of Guatemala’s Congress also released a statement on social media lamenting the “tragic accident” where “more than four dozen Guatemalans lost their lives in search of daily sustenance”.
Guatemala City Mayor Ricardo Quinonez said on social media that emergency services had been deployed while traffic police worked on establishing alternate routes in the affected area.
The National Civil Police said that they were supporting search and rescue efforts and would give “all the necessary support”.