At least 48 people died when a bus tumbled down a cliff onto a rocky beach Tuesday along a narrow stretch of highway known as the "Devil's Curve," Peruvian police and fire officials said.

The bus carrying 57 people was headed to Peru's capital when it was struck by a tractor trailer shortly before noon and plunged down the slope, said Claudia Espinoza with Peru's voluntary firefighter brigade.

The blue bus came to rest upside down on a strip of shore next to the Pacific, the lifeless bodies of passengers strewn among the rocks.

"It's very sad for us as a country to suffer an accident of this magnitude," Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski said in a statement.

Rescuers had to struggle to rescue survivors and recover the dead from the hard-to-reach area in Pasamayo, about 70 kilometres north of Lima.

Rescue workers load an injured man on a stretcher after he was retrieved from a bus that fell off a cliff after it was hit by a tractor-trailer. (Vidal Tarky/Andina News Agency via AP)

No road leads directly to the beach, complicating rescue efforts, Espinoza said. Police and firefighters used helicopters to transport six survivors with serious injuries to nearby hospitals. Col. Dino Escudero said 48 people were confirmed dead and at least three were missing.

Transportation Minister Bruno Giuffra said initial reports indicated both vehicles involved were travelling at a high rate of speed at the time of the crash. Calls by The Associated Press to the company that owns the bus were not immediately returned.

As rescue operations continued late into the night, authorities announced a suspect had been detained for allegedly robbing belongings of victims.

Rescue workers surround an injured man on a stretcher who was lifted up from the site of a bus crash at the bottom of a cliff. (Vidal Tarky/Andina News Agency via AP)

Traffic accidents are common along Peru's roadways, with more than 2,600 people killed in 2016. More than three dozen died when three buses and a truck collided in 2015 on the main costal highway. Twenty people were killed in November when a bus plunged off a bridge into a river in the southern Andes.

The nation's deadliest traffic crash on record happened in 2013 when a makeshift bus carrying 51 Quechua Indians back from a party in southeastern Peru fell off a cliff into a river, killing everyone on board.

Espinoza said the passengers in Tuesday's crash included many returning to Lima after celebrating the New Year's holiday with family outside the city.

'As a Peruvian, it's shameful'

The highway is known as the "Devil's Curve" because it is narrow, frequently shrouded in mist and curves along a cliff that has seen numerous accidents. Police said the bus fell an estimated 80 metres.

Miguel Sidia, a transportation expert in Peru, said that while road conditions in the Andean nation have improved in recent years, lack of driver education and little enforcement of road rules still lead to many fatalities each year.

He called on authorities to immediately conduct studies into building a new highway farther from the cliff where the accident occurred.

"As a Peruvian, it's shameful," he said.

​</s>Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Peru Pasamayo: Bus plunges off cliff

At least 48 people have been killed after a coach plummeted 100m (330ft) down a cliff and landed upside down on a beach in Peru, officials say.

The health ministry said six people had survived the accident, one of whom had jumped from the bus before it fell.

The accident happened on a notorious stretch of road known as Curva del Diablo (devil's bend) in Pasamayo, north of the capital Lima.

The coach, with more than 50 people on board, collided with a lorry.

Transit police said the lorry driver had been detained for questioning.

Perilous road

The bus, which belongs to the San Martín de Porres transport company, was travelling to Lima from Huacho, about 130km (80 miles) north of the capital.

The stretch of road winding alongside the Pacific Ocean where the accident happened is considered one of the most dangerous in Peru.

It has no barriers separating it from a sheer drop to the ocean and the sea spray and frequent fog can make it particularly slippery.

The bus company that said its driver was very experienced and was travelling with an assistant. The company also said that the bus had passed a mechanical check before leaving Huacho.

Footage showed rescue workers struggling to reach the bus, with a helicopter winching down some emergency workers while others were lowered down the cliff with ropes.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption The coach fell 100m down a cliff after colliding with a truck

Image copyright EPA Image caption Rescue workers were lowered onto the beach by helicopters

Image copyright EPA Image caption The coach landed on its roof

Image copyright EPA Image caption Five people have been pulled from the wreckage alive - a sixth managed to jump out of a window

Rescue work had to be halted overnight as the tide rose and engulfed parts of the coach. A Peruvian navy boat helped get the rescuers off the beach.

Local media reported that one of the passengers managed to survive by jumping out of the coach before it plunged down the cliff.

The doctor in the hospital where 24-year-old Máximo Jiménez Vilcayaure was being treated for a broken arm said the man had jumped out of a window with seconds to spare.

Five other survivors were pulled from the wreckage and are being treated for multiple fractures.

Twenty-four bodies have so far been recovered.

Peru's President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski said it was "painful for the whole country to suffer an accident of this magnitude".

He sent a message of "deep solidarity" to the families of the victims.</s>At least 36 people have been killed after a coach plummeted 100m (330ft) down a cliff and landed upside down on a beach in Peru, officials say.

The health ministry said six survivors had so far been pulled from the wreckage and taken to hospital.

The accident happened on a notorious stretch of road known as Curva del Diablo (the devil’s bend) in Pasamayo, north of the capital Lima.

A transport official said the coach was carrying about 50 people.

The winding Pacific Ocean road is considered one of the most dangerous in Peru.

Peru’s President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski said it was “painful for the whole country to suffer an accident of this magnitude”.

He sent a message of “deep solidarity” to the families of the victims.

Images from the scene showed rescuers surrounding the wrecked coach while people on the road above looked on.

Peru transport chief Dino Escudero said an investigation had been launched but it appeared that the coach had been in collision with another vehicle, causing the driver to lose control.

A helicopter was helping in the rescue operation.

The coach had been travelling to Lima from Huacho, about 130km (80 miles) north of the capital.

Correspondents say road accidents are common in Peru. In 2016, 493 people were killed in more than 3,800 accidents, according to official figures.</s>LIMA: At least 48 people were killed in Peru on Tuesday (Jan 2) after the bus they were riding collided with a truck along a precarious stretch known as the "devil's curve" and was thrown off a seaside cliff, officials said.

The bus was travelling from Huacho, 130 kilometres north of the capital, to Lima with 53 passengers on board when it went off the road about midday.

It plunged 100 metres and landed upside down on rocks at the edge of the sea.

"Thirty bodies have been recovered and six are trapped," said Colonel Dino Escudero, head of the police highway patrol division.

He earlier gave a toll of at least 25 dead but said the number of victims could increase.

A police helicopter winched some rescue workers down to the wreck of the blue bus while others made the precarious journey down on foot with the assistance of ropes.

The Navy sent a patrol boat to assist the rescuers trying to get everyone out before the tide rose.

At least six people were confirmed to have survived.

Maria Elena Aguilar, director of Alcides Carrion Hospital in El Callao, said her facility received five patients with multiple injuries.

One other survivor was taken to a different hospital.

The accident took place on a coastal highway about 45 kilometres north of the capital Lima, Escudero said.

The Pasamayo highway on which the tragedy occurred is only used by trucks and buses, as cars travel a different route.

It is a dangerous sea-hugging road where fog is frequent and high humidity can make the roadway slippery.

The bus driver had a lot of experience and was working with an assistant, said Luis Martinez, a representative of Transportes San Martin de Porres, which owned the bus.

Martinez could not confirm whether the driver had been killed or injured, but added that the bus underwent a mechanical check before leaving Huacho.

More than 2,500 people died in traffic accidents in Peru in 2016, according to official figures.</s>At least 48 people were killed in Peru when a bus tumbled down a cliff from a narrow stretch of road known as the Devil's Curve, authorities said.

At least 48 people were killed in Peru when a bus tumbled down a cliff from a narrow stretch of road known as the Devil's Curve, authorities said.

At least 48 people killed in Peru bus crash

The bus, carrying 57 people in total, was heading for the capital, Lima, when it was struck by a tractor trailer and plunged down the slope onto a rocky beach, firefighter Claudia Espinoza said.

The blue bus came to rest upside down on a strip of shore next to the Pacific, with passengers' bodies strewn among the rocks. Peruvian president Pedro Pablo Kuczynski said: "It's very sad for us as a country to suffer an accident of this magnitude."

Rescuers struggled to reach survivors and recover the dead from the hard-to-reach spot in Pasamayo, about 43 miles north of Lima. No road leads directly to the beach, complicating rescue efforts. Police and firefighters used helicopters to transport six survivors with serious injuries to nearby hospitals.

Colonel Dino Escudero said 48 people were confirmed dead with at least three other people missing. Transportation minister Bruno Giuffra said initial reports indicated both vehicles involved were travelling at high speed at the time of the crash.

As rescue operations continued late into the night, authorities announced a suspect had been detained for allegedly stealing from the victims. Traffic accidents are common in Peru, with more than 2,600 people killed in 2016.

The nation's deadliest traffic crash on record happened in 2013 when a makeshift bus carrying 51 Quechua Indians back from a party in south-eastern Peru fell from a cliff into a river, killing everyone on board. Many of the passengers in Tuesday's crash were returning to Lima after celebrating the New Year holiday with family outside the city.

The road is known as the Devil's Curve because it is narrow, frequently shrouded in mist and winds along a cliff which is a notorious accident blackspot. Police said the bus fell an estimated 262ft.

Miguel Sidia, a transportation expert in Peru, said that while road conditions in the Andean nation have improved in recent years, lack of driver education and little enforcement of road rules still lead to many fatalities each year. He called on authorities to immediately conduct studies into building a new road further from the cliff where the accident occurred. "As a Peruvian, it's shameful," he said.</s>48 dead after bus careens off cliff in Peru

The death toll from a bus accident in Peru has risen to 48, a police statement said on Tuesday, after the vehicle plunged off a cliff following a collision with a truck.

The incident ‘left at least 48 victims’ dead, the statement posted on the Interior Ministry’s website said, revising earlier tolls of at least 25 dead, and then 36.

There were 53 passengers on board.

The accident took place on the Panamericana Norte highway near the area of Pasamayo on the Pacific coast, the ministry said on Twitter. Six people survived the crash and were being treated for injuries while the government rushed emergency medical services to the site.

‘From the first moment I arranged all immediate support for the rescue of the victims in this emergency,’ president Pedro Pablo Kuczynski tweeted.</s>Lima (Peru): At least 48 people died when a bus tumbled down a cliff onto a rocky beach Tuesday along a narrow stretch of highway known as the "Devil's Curve," Peruvian police and fire officials said.

The bus carrying 57 people was headed to Peru's capital when it was struck by a tractor trailer shortly before noon and plunged down the slope, said Claudia Espinoza with Peru's voluntary firefighter brigade.

The blue bus came to rest upside down on a strip of shore next to the Pacific, the lifeless bodies of passengers strewn among the rocks.

"It's very sad for us as a country to suffer an accident of this magnitude," Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski said in a statement.

Rescuers had to struggle to rescue survivors and recover the dead from the hard-to-reach area in Pasamayo, about 70 kilometers (43 miles) north of Lima. No road leads directly to the beach, complicating rescue efforts, Espinoza said.

Police and firefighters used helicopters to transport six survivors with serious injuries to nearby hospitals.

Col. Dino Escudero said 48 people were confirmed dead and at least three were missing.

Transportation Minister Bruno Giuffra said initial reports indicated both vehicles involved were traveling at a high rate of speed at the time of the crash.

As rescue operations continued late into the night, authorities announced a suspect had been detained for allegedly robbing belongings of victims.

Traffic accidents are common along Peru's roadways, with more than 2,600 people killed in 2016. More than three dozen died when three buses and a truck collided in 2015 on the main coastal highway.

Twenty people were killed in November when a bus plunged off a bridge into a river in the southern Andes.

The nation's deadliest traffic crash on record happened in 2013 when a makeshift bus carrying 51 Quechua Indians back from a party in southeastern Peru fell off a cliff into a river, killing everyone on board.

Espinoza said the passengers in Tuesday's crash included many returning to Lima after celebrating the New Year's holiday with family outside the city.

The highway is known as the "Devil's Curve" because it is narrow, frequently shrouded in mist and curves along a cliff that has seen numerous accidents. Police said the bus fell an estimated 80 meters (262 feet).

Miguel Sidia, a transportation expert in Peru, said that while road conditions in the Andean nation have improved in recent years, lack of driver education and little enforcement of road rules still lead to many fatalities each year.

He called on authorities to immediately conduct studies into building a new highway farther from the cliff where the accident occurred.

"As a Peruvian, it's shameful," he said.</s>LIMA, Peru — At least 48 people were killed Tuesday when a bus tumbled down a cliff onto a rocky beach along a narrow stretch of highway known as the “Devil’s Curve,” Peruvian police and fire officials said.

The bus was carrying 57 passengers to Lima, Peru’s capital, when it was struck by a tractor-trailer shortly before noon and plunged down the slope, said Claudia Espinoza, who is with Peru’s voluntary firefighter brigade.

The bus landed upside-down on a strip of shoreline next to the Pacific, the bodies of its passengers strewn among the rocks.

“It’s very sad for us as a country to suffer an accident of this magnitude,” President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski said in a statement.

Rescuers had to struggle to help survivors and recover the dead from the hard-to-reach area in Pasamayo, about 43 miles north of Lima.</s>A bus plunged over a seaside cliff in Peru on Tuesday, killing at least 48 people after a collision with a truck on a precarious stretch known as the “devil’s curve,” officials said.

The bus was travelling from Huacho, 130 kilometers (81 miles) north of the capital, to Lima with 55 passengers and two crew on board when it went off the road about midday.

It plunged 100 meters (330 feet) and landed upside down on rocks at the edge of the sea.

The incident “left at least 48 victims” dead, the statement posted on the Interior Ministry’s website said.

Efforts to recover bodies from the overturned vehicle were suspended at nightfall because the tide had risen and reached the bus, the police said.

A police helicopter had winched some rescue workers to the wreck of the blue bus while others made the precarious journey down on foot with the assistance of ropes.

The navy sent a patrol boat to assist the rescuers trying to get everyone out before the tide came in.

There were several survivors, although most on board the bus perished.

“For us it is very painful to suffer an accident of this magnitude. My deep solidarity lies with the pain suffered by the relatives,” President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski wrote on Twitter.

Maria Elena Aguilar, director of Alcides Carrion Hospital in El Callao, said her facility received five patients with multiple injuries.

One other survivor was taken to a different hospital.

The accident took place on a coastal highway about 45 kilometers north of the capital Lima, said Colonel Dino Escudero, head of the police highway patrol division.

The Pasamayo highway on which the tragedy occurred is only used by trucks and buses, as cars travel a different route.

It is a dangerous sea-hugging road where fog is frequent and high humidity can make the roadway slippery.

The bus driver had a lot of experience and was working with an assistant, said Luis Martinez, a representative of Transportes San Martin de Porres, which owned the bus.

Martinez could not confirm whether the driver had been killed or injured, but added that the bus underwent a mechanical check before leaving Huacho.

More than 2,500 people died in traffic accidents in Peru in 2016, according to official figures.</s>LIMA – At least 48 people were killed after a coach plummeted 100m (330ft) down a cliff and landed upside down on a beach in Peru on Wednesday.

The health ministry said six people had survived the accident, one of whom had jumped from the bus before it fell after colliding with a lorry.

The accident happened on a notorious stretch of road known as Curva del Diablo (devil’s bend) in Pasamayo, north of the capital Lima. It has no barriers separating it from a sheer drop to the ocean and the sea spray and frequent fog can make it particularly slippery.

“Thirty bodies have been recovered and six are trapped,” said Colonel Dino Escudero, head of the police highway patrol division.

A police helicopter winched some rescue workers down to the wreck of the blue bus while others made the precarious journey down on foot with the assistance of ropes.

Footage showed rescue workers struggling to reach the bus, with a helicopter winching down some emergency workers while others were lowered down the cliff with ropes.

Local media reported that one of the passengers managed to survive by jumping out of the coach before it plunged down the cliff.

The doctor in the hospital where 24-year-old Máximo Jiménez Vilcayaure was being treated for a broken arm said the man had jumped out of a window and onto the tarmac with seconds to spare.

Five other survivors were pulled from the wreckage and are being treated for multiple fractures.

Peru’s President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski said it was “painful for the whole country to suffer an accident of this magnitude”.

He sent a message of “deep solidarity” to the families of the victims.

More than 2,500 people died in traffic accidents in Peru in 2016, according to official figures.
A coach bus plunges off a cliff on a coastal road in Peru, killing at least 48 people.