Guatemala City — At least 51 people have died after a bus plunged off a bridge on the outskirts of Guatemala City on Monday, according to Hector Flores, who was involved in coordinating the municipal government’s response.
Firefighting spokesperson Edwin Villagran explained that the bus was sent off the bridge in a multi-vehicle crash that occurred before dawn, trapping survivors. Many of the people rescued from the wreckage suffered severe injuries.
Oscar Sanchez, a volunteer firefighter spokesperson, confirmed that children were among the victims.
The overcrowded bus was traveling from the Progreso department, located northeast of the capital, on a busy route into the city when it fell from the Puente Belice bridge. The bridge spans over a road and creek.
The bus dropped 35 meters into a sewage-polluted stream, landing upside down and partially submerged in water.
Carlos Hernandez, a spokesperson for the Guatemala City fire department, reported that the bodies of 36 men and 15 women had been transported to a provincial morgue set up for the accident.
In response, Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo declared three days of national mourning and deployed the army and disaster agencies to assist with recovery efforts.
“I stand in solidarity with the families of the victims who woke up to this heartbreaking news today. Their pain is my pain,” Arevalo expressed on social media.
