A bridge collapsed in northern Peru on Friday, causing a double-decker bus and a car to plunge into a river, killing at least two people and injuring scores, according to authorities.
The bus was carrying more than 50 passengers when the 60-metre (197-foot) long bridge it was crossing near Chancay collapsed “due to a structural failure,” according to disaster management official Cecilia Martino.
The problem appears to have been with the bridge’s central pillar, which was built in the 1960s on the Panamerican Highway.
The bus was travelling from the port city of Chimbote, about 400 kilometres (250 miles) north, to the capital Lima.
The interior ministry reported that more than 50 police officers and 100 firefighters participated in the rescue operation.
The bus driver and a passenger were found dead, and 41 people were taken to the hospital.
According to the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the Andean country has a high rate of bus crashes, with 3,138 deaths recorded in transportation accidents in 2023.
