Bus plunges off a Guatemala bridge, killing at least 56 passengers
At least 56 people are dead after a bus plunged off a bridge Monday on the outskirts of Guatemala's capital, Guatemala City Fire Department spokesman Carlos Hernández told CBS News.
Firefighting spokesman Edwin Villagran said a multi-vehicle crash sent the bus off the Belice Bridge before dawn. The impact killed 52 of the victims at the scene and four others succumbed to their injuries at the hospital, Hernández said. It's unclear how many people in total were on board at the time but other passengers were seriously injured.
Volunteer firefighting spokesman Óscar Sánchez said children were among the victims.
The bus fell 115 feet into a sewage-polluted stream after it collided with two vehicles and lost control, according to Hernández. It crashed through a metal safety railing and landed upside down and half-submerged, trapping survivors, he said.
The bus had come from Progreso, northeast of the capital. It's a busy bus route that crosses the highway bridge over a creek.
President Bernardo Arévalo offered his condolences and declared a day of national mourning.
"I have instructed the mobilization of personnel from the National Army and CONRED to assist on site and activate special criteria for medical care for the wounded," Arévalo said in a statement on X. "Furthermore, I have decided to declare a period of national mourning, which will soon be formalized by government agreement."
