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<\/div>\n27 were killed in Mexico when a bus careened off a mountain road on Wednesday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Oaxaca: <\/b><\/p>\n
At least 27 people were killed in Mexico when a passenger bus careened off a mountain road and plummeted into a ravine Wednesday in the southern state of Oaxaca, police said.<\/p>\n
Images from the scene showed the mangled wreckage of the vehicle lying on its side at the bottom of a steep cliff as rescuers worked nearby.<\/p>\n
“According to a preliminary toll, 27 people died and 17 injured were transferred to different hospitals in the region for medical attention,” Oaxaca state prosecutor Bernardo Rodriguez Alamilla told AFP by telephone.<\/p>\n
An investigation has been launched into the cause of the accident, with early indications suggesting mechanical failure, he added.<\/p>\n
At least six of the injured were unconscious and in serious condition when they were rushed to hospital, according to the civil protection agency.<\/p>\n
The bus, operated by a local transport company, had left the capital Mexico City on Tuesday night and was heading for the town of Santiago de Yosondua, authorities said.<\/p>\n
“The driver of the vehicle presumably lost control… and unfortunately it fell into a ravine more than 25 meters (80 feet) deep,” a state official, Jesus Romero, said at a press conference.<\/p>\n
The company operating the bus provides a daily service from Mexico City, he said.<\/p>\n
Injured passengers were transferred to hospitals in the area, while emergency services retrieved the bodies of those killed, Romero added.<\/p>\n
The accident happened in Magdalena Penasco, a town located in a mountainous area home to remote communities, winding roads and steep ravines.<\/p>\n
“We deeply regret the accident that occurred in Magdalena Penasco,” Oaxaca state governor Salomon Jara wrote on social media, offering condolences to the families of the deceased.<\/p>\n
“Our government personnel are already working on the rescue operation and to provide all the support to the injured people,” he said.<\/p>\n
Police images published on social media showed the top half of the bus almost completely destroyed.<\/p>\n
Deadly road accidents are common in Mexico, usually due to high speeds, poor vehicle conditions or driver fatigue.<\/p>\n
Many people rely on buses, sometimes operated by small transportation companies serving remote communities with aging vehicles.<\/p>\n
Crashes involving freight trucks have also increased on the country’s highways.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, a fiery smash involving cargo vehicles left eight people injured on a highway in the central state of Queretaro, authorities said.<\/p>\n
In May, at least 18 Mexican tourists died when their bus plunged into a ravine in the western state of Nayarit.<\/p>\n
The same month, 13 people were killed when a passenger van and a semi-truck collided on a highway in the northeastern state of Tamaulipas.<\/p>\n
Road safety campaigners have called for stricter regulations, such as a ban on trucks pulling two cargo trailers.<\/p>\n
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n