Guatemala Bus Crashes Into Ravine, Killing at Least 55 People on Board

• One of the deadliest bus crashes in Guatemala has claimed the lives of about 55 people in Guatemala City
• The bus was coming from San Agustin Acasaguastlan in El Progreso Department when it lost control
• Seriously injured passengers were taken to hospital, while authorities retrieved bodies from a river

Tshepiso Mametela is a seasoned journalist at Briefly News. A Head of Current Affairs, Mametela reported live from the presidential inauguration of Cyril Ramaphosa and has written articles on politics, crime, courts, accidents and other topics, including sports, at The Herald and Opera News SA, among others.

GUATEMALA CITY — About 55 people died in Guatemala in Central America when a bus ferrying about 70 passengers plunged into a ravine after crashing through a metal rail.

Authorities said it was one of the worst road accidents in Latin America in years. A sewage-filled river in Guatemala City reportedly made it difficult for rescuers to retrieve bodies from the wreckage.

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Guatemala bus crash leaves 55 dead

At the time, the bus was travelling to Guatemala City from San Agustin Acasaguastlan in El Progreso Department on Monday, 10 February 2025.

Fire and emergency responders said the bus driver lost control, crashed into several vehicles and plunged over a ridge.

"It kept [barelling down], broke through a guard railing, and fell into a ravine about 20m deep until the bus reached the contaminated river," said the fire department.

A representative of the public prosecutor's office, Moises Ortiz, confirmed that about 53 people were declared dead at the scene.

Two others died after they were admitted to the Hospital Nacional San Juan de Dios, with many other passengers in serious condition.

Meanwhile, authorities hauled recovered bodies to an improvised morgue in the community of Santo Domingo Los Ocotes, where distressed relatives identified their loved ones.

In response to the tragedy, the country's president, Bernardo Arevalo, shared his sorrow and declared three days of national mourning.

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"It is a difficult [time] for the nation of Guatemala," said Arevalo.

Moria bus crash claims 45 lives

In a related story, Briefly News reported that a bus accident on the R518 road in Limpopo claimed the lives of about 45 people on Thursday, 28 March 2024.

The lone survivor of the tragic accident, an eight-year-old girl, part of a group travelling from Botswana to Moria for an Easter pilgrimage, survived the wreckage after the bus they were travelling in lost control and landed in a ditch.

Source: Briefly News