This article may be excessively based on contemporary reporting. (March 2024) |
Around 12:00 (17:00 UTC) on 2 January 2018 a Peruvian bus carrying 57 passengers from Huacho to Lima went over a cliff after being struck by a tractor trailer near Pasamayo, Peru, killing 51 people and injuring at least 5 others. It is the deadliest road accident in Peruvian history, tied with the 2013 Peru bus disaster.[1][2] The crash occurred near the 'Devil's Curve' highway, a precariously nicknamed route that is known for fatal traffic accidents.
| 2018 Pasamayo bus crash | |
|---|---|
  Pasamayo Pasamayo (Peru) | |
| Details | |
| Date | 2 January 2018 12:00 (UTC-5) |
| Location | Pasamayo, Peru |
| Incident type | Cliff plunge |
| Cause | Under investigation |
| Statistics | |
| Passengers | 57 |
| Deaths | 51 |
| Injured | 5 |
Accident
edit
Peruvian Transportation Minister Bruno Giuffra stated on Twitter that both vehicles were in "excess of speed" when the accident occurred shortly before noon.[3] The area of the crash, which is 43 kilometers from Lima,[4] was an isolated, rocky beach below the Devil's Curve not readily reachable by roadways. The route the accident occurred on, the Devil's Curve, received its nickname from treacherous conditions created by frequent fog, a lack of barriers, and its unpredictable shape.
When the bus fell during the accident, the particular cliff it was knocked off was 260 ft (79 m) high.[5] The crash was reportedly very violent, with many passengers being thrown outside of the bus[6] and 12 of the deceased not being immediately removable from the vehicle.[7] 5 individuals were airlifted to hospital after emergency crews managed to extract them from the wreckage.
As a result of the accident, Peru banned buses on Devil's Curve.[8]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Bacon, John; James, Mike. "Death toll rises to 51 in Peruvian bus crash on 'Devil's Curve'". USA Today. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
- ^ "Peru Bus Crash leaves at least 30 dead". CBS News. January 2018.
- ^ "Exceso de velocidad fue la causa del accidente en Pasamayo, señala Giuffra" [Excess of speed was the cause of the accident in Pasamayo, says Giuffra]. Andina. 2 January 2018.
- ^ "At least 48 dead when bus plunges onto rocky beach in Peru". Associated Press. 2 January 2018. Archived from the original on 4 January 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
- ^ "Bus Plunges Off 'Devil's Curve' in Peru, killing at least 48". New York Times. January 2018.
- ^ "48 killed in Peru bus accident". The Hindu. 2 January 2018.
- ^ "Pasamayo: sube a 48 cifra de fallecidos en accidente de carretera" [Pasamayo: Figure of deaths rises to 48 in accident] (in Spanish). Andina. 2 January 2018.
- ^ "Buses banned on "Devil's Curve" after dozens killed in crash". CBS News. 4 January 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski announced Wednesday that he was ordering the nation's Ministry of Transportation to begin working on plans to expand a nearby road farther from the cliff, and according to the "Peruano" newspaper and other Latin American media, he banned all buses from traversing the Pasamayo stretch of highway, which has earned the name "Devil's Curve."