More than four dozen people were killed in a horrific bus crash on a bridge in Guatemala on Monday. According to The Independent, the bus, which had traveled out of Progreso, was on the Belice Bridge when it crashed into two vehicles and then lost control. After hitting a metal safety railing, the bus plunged 115 feet, landing upside down and half-submerged in a sewage-polluted stream.
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Multiple media outlets confirmed that the bus had more than 70 passengers when it crashed. At least one male passenger was seen being carried out of the wreckage on a stretcher. However, his condition remains unknown.
Guatemala City Mayor Ricardo Quiñónez took to X (formerly Twitter) to speak out about the tragedy. He further announced that emergency services were deployed to the scene. The traffic police were also working on establishing alternate routes for those traveling to the area.
“We express our solidarity with the affected families and reaffirm our commitment to address this crisis with immediate action,” Quiñónez’s translated post reads.
Benemérito Cuerpo Voluntario de Bomberos de Guatemala, a volunteer fire department, revealed in a Facebook post that it took more than six and a half hours to recover the bodies of those who were trapped in the bus.
Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo further addressed the accident on X, describing it as a “tragedy.”
“I stand in solidarity with the families of the victims who woke up today with heartbreaking news. Their pain is my pain,” he wrote.
President Arévalo further stated he has instructed “the mobilization of the National Army personnel and CONRED to assist at the scene.”
“Furthermore, I have decided to declare national mourning, which will soon be formalized via government decree,” he added.