Image copyright CECILO CHACAJ/MUNICIPAL FIREFIGH Image caption The pedestrians had been looking at the scene of a previous hit and run when the truck ploughed into them

At least 18 people have been killed after a truck ploughed into a crowd in Guatemala.

The victims were looking at the scene of a previous accident in the western town of Nahuala when the truck struck them late on Wednesday. The driver then fled the scene.

The ministry of health said 19 people had been taken to hospital with injuries.

Guatemala's government has declared three days of national mourning.

Images from the scene show emergency services lining up the victims' bodies on the road.

The truck driver escaped the scene after the incident, but police spokesman Pablo Castillo said the authorities managed to capture a suspect following a high speed chase.

A 28-year old man identified as Pedro Rene Lorenzo Lopez was in police custody, the spokesman added.

Guatemala's president Jimmy Morales wrote on Twitter: "At this time we are co-ordinating our response to bring full support to the relatives of the victims. My heartfelt condolences."

The country has seen several major accidents on its roads in recent years. In 2013, 43 people were killed when a bus plunged 200m (660ft) into a ravine.</s>At least 32 people are known to have died. Pic: Twitter/@CBMDEPTAL

At least 32 people have died after a truck struck a crowd gathered at a road accident in western Guatemala.

The group had apparently gathered on the road to inspect a person who had been killed in a separate crash when the vehicle ploughed into them, a fire service spokesman said.

"It seems that the semi-trailer did not notice the number of the people on the roadway and ran them over," Cecilio Chacaj added.

The crash killed at least 32 people, and another nine people are in a critical condition, public health minister Carlos Soto told local media.

The fate of the truck driver is not yet known.

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The accident took place near the municipality of Nahula in Solola province, west of Guatemala City.

Footage posted on social media showed bodies strewn on the road, while several people cry and shout for help.

Guatemala President Jimmy Morales said his government would co-ordinate aid to the families of the victims.

The crash marked one of the country's worst traffic accidents in recent years.

In 2013, a bus plunged off a cliff in rural Guatemala, killing at least 43 people and injuring dozens.</s>A woman reacts over the coffin of a relative, who died during an accident where a truck crashed into a crowd of people, in Nahuala, Guatemala March 28, 2019. REUTERS/Josue Decavele

GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) - A truck crashed into a crowd of people in western Guatemala on Wednesday evening, killing 18 people, authorities said early on Thursday, correcting downward their initial assessment.

The truck struck a group of people who had gone onto the road to inspect another person who had been hit by a car, Cecilio Chacaj, a spokesman for the local fire department, told Reuters.

The crash killed 18 people, including an eight-year-old girl, the Attorney General’s office said. Nineteen people were admitted to hospitals with injuries, the ministry of health said in a statement.

The accident took place in the municipality of Nahuala, west of Guatemala City.

“At this time we are coordinating our response to bring full support to the relatives of the victims,” President Jimmy Morales wrote in a post on Twitter. “My heartfelt condolences.”

The crash marked one of the country’s worst traffic accidents in recent years. In 2013, a bus plunged off a cliff in rural Guatemala, killing at least 43 people and injuring dozens.

Government officials on Thursday said they corrected down their initial assessment of at least 32 dead after firefighters and other officials at the crash scene took more time to examine the wounded in the pile-up of bodies.</s>At least 32 people have died after a large truck struck a crowd gathered on at separate road accident in western Guatemala.

The group had apparently gathered on the road to inspect a person who had been killed in a different crash when the vehicle ploughed into them, a fire service spokesman said.

“It seems that the semi-trailer did not notice the number of the people on the roadway and ran them over,” Cecilio Chacaj added.

The crash killed at least 32 people, and another nine people are in a critical condition, public health minister Carlos Soto told local media.

The accident took place near the municipality of Nahula in Solola province, west of Guatemala City.

Footage posted on social media showed bodies strewn on the road, while several people cry and shout for help.</s>18 people are dead, more injured, after a large truck rammed into a crowd gathered on a highway in western Guatemala on Mar. 28, 2019 before fleeing the scene.</s>A truck crashed into a crowd of people in western Guatemala on Wednesday evening, killing at least 18 people, authorities said.

The accident occurred at the entry point to the western town of Nahuala, which has a population of around 65,000, the majority of whom are K’iche’ Maya.

The truck struck a group of people who had gone onto the road to inspect another person who had been hit by a car, Cecilio Chacaj, a spokesman for the local fire department, told Reuters.

Chacaj revised the death toll of the accident to 18 after earlier saying that at least 30 people had died in the mishap.

Public Health Minister Carlos Soto earlier said on local radioThe crash killed at least 32 people, and nine people were admitted to hospitals in a critical condition, .

The driver fled the scene in his truck and his whereabouts are unknown.

The group had congregated at the site of an earlier hit-and-run accident that had killed a resident of their neighborhood when they in turn were hit by the truck, Chacaj added.

Local reports said the man killed in the first accident was a community leader and president of the state Council of Urban and Rural Development.

The truck did not have its lights on when it struck the group of people which may have been why the driver did not spot them, according to local media.

"At this time we are coordinating our response to bring full support to the relatives of the victims," President Jimmy Morales wrote in a post on Twitter. "My heartfelt condolences."

A video circulating on social media showed bodies strewn on the roadway while several people cry and shout for help.

The crash marked one of the country's worst traffic accidents in recent years.

In 2013, a bus plunged off a cliff in rural Guatemala, killing at least 43 people and injuring dozens.

Traffic rules are frequently ignored in Guatema la, a Central American country of some 16.5 million people.

This article has been adapted from its original source.</s>A truck crashed into a crowd of people in western Guatemala on Wednesday evening, killing 18 people, authorities said early on Thursday, correcting downward their initial assessment. The truck struck a group of people who had gone onto the road to inspect another person who had been hit by a car, Cecilio Chacaj, a spokesman for the local fire department, told Reuters.

The crash killed 18 people, including an eight-year-old girl, the Attorney General’s office said. Nineteen people were admitted to hospitals with injuries, the ministry of health said in a statement. The accident took place in the municipality of Nahuala, west of Guatemala City.

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“At this time we are coordinating our response to bring full support to the relatives of the victims,” President Jimmy Morales wrote in a post on Twitter. “My heartfelt condolences.” The crash marked one of the country’s worst traffic accidents in recent years. In 2013, a bus plunged off a cliff in rural Guatemala, killing at least 43 people and injuring dozens.

Government officials on Thursday said they corrected down their initial assessment of at least 32 dead after firefighters and other officials at the crash scene took more time to examine the wounded in the pile-up of bodies.</s>MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A truck crashed into a crowd of people in western Guatemala on Wednesday evening, killing more than 30 and injuring at least four, local authorities and President Jimmy Morales said.

The truck struck a group of people who had gone onto the road to inspect another person who had been hit by a car, Cecilio Chacaj, a spokesman for the local fire department, told Reuters.</s>A large truck slammed into a crowd gathered on a dark highway in Guatemala, killing at least 30 people and leaving bodies scattered on the roadway, fire officials said.

Cecilio Chacaj, a spokesman for the firefighters, said the accident took place Wednesday night near the municipality of Nahula in Solola province in western Guatemala.

Mr. Chacaj said the crowd had apparently gathered to observe a person who had died in a separate accident when the semitrailer plowed into them.

“It seems that the semitrailer did not notice the number of the people on the roadway and ran them over,” Mr. Chacaj said. “So far there are at least 30 bodies at the site.”</s>Truck slams into crowd on highway in Guatemala; 30 dead

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Firefighters in Guatemala say a large truck slammed into a crowd gathered on a dark highway, killing at least 30 people and leaving bodies scattered on the roadway.

Firefighters' spokesperson Cecilio Chacaj said the accident took place Wednesday night near the municipality of Nahula in Solola province in western Guatemala.

Chacaj said the crowd had apparently gathered to observe a person who had died in a separate accident when the semi-trailer plowed into them.

"It seems that the semi-trailer did not notice the number of the people on the roadway and ran them over," said Chacaj. "So far there are at least 30 bodies at the site."
At least 18 people have died after a truck struck a crowd gathered at a road accident in western Guatemala. The group had apparently gathered on the road to inspect a person who had been killed in a separate crash when the vehicle ploughed into them. The estimates of those dead were later revised by officials.