BOGOTA, Colombia (AFP) – Six children died and over a dozen were injured on Tuesday after their school bus rolled down a cliff in northeastern Colombia, a regional official said.
“Unfortunately I have to confirm (the) school bus accident on the Laguna de Ortices-San Andres road, where 6 minors died and there are more than 15 injured,” tweeted Mauricio Aguilar, governor of the mountainous Santander department, where the tragedy occurred.
The students had left a rural school and were on their way back to the town center of San Andres when the bus went off the road, said Mayor Jose Rosember Rojas, without adding further details into the cause of the accident.
#Santander, García Rovira municipio San Andrés- donde el puente más grande (Hisgaura) une a 2 trochas. Hoy murieron 6 niños en su ruta escolar, rodaron por un precipicio y hay 15+ heridos. Más DIGNIDAD para nosotros, se robaron la conectividad rural, la carreteras y los sueños. pic.twitter.com/W7komn7K2G
— Laura R u i z. (@laujuliruiz2) March 23, 2022
Images published by Colombian media show the bus in a steep wooded area with its roof detached and several dislodged seats.
Traffic accidents are one of the main causes of death in Colombia. In 2021, the country of 50 million experienced 7,200 road deaths.
© Agence France-Presse
