15 Dead in Guatemala Bus Ravine Crash

At least 15 people died and 19 others were injured when a passenger bus veered off the InterAmerican Highway in western Guatemala and plunged into a deep ravine late Friday night, authorities reported Saturday.

The accident occurred between kilometers 172 and 174 in the Solola Department, near the town of Totonicapan in an area known as Alaska Peak for its rugged terrain and frequent dense fog that reduces visibility for drivers. The bus, traveling from Guatemala City to San Marcos on the border with Mexico, fell approximately 250 feet into the ravine for reasons that remain unknown, according to Leandro Amado, spokesperson for the local fire department. Among the victims were 11 men, three women and one minor, Amado told reporters.

Rescue efforts began immediately after the crash and involved firefighters, paramedics and units from the Guatemalan Army. It took responders more than two hours to extract the bodies and free injured passengers from the wreckage, which emergency teams described as severely mangled. Images shared by the fire department early Saturday showed firefighters working amid the steep drop-off to pull survivors to safety. The 19 injured were transported to...