At least 42 gendarmerie officers have died after the bus they were travelling on fell off a bridge near the town of Rosario de la Frontera, in Salta. Another nine passengers were rescued with injuries, some serious.
The fatal bus crash in Salta (Photo courtesy of Salta Police)
The accident occurred at around 2am. The bus was travelling on the Ruta 34 highway from Santiago del Estero to Jujuy when the driver reportedly lost control. The vehicle fell some 20 metres from a bridge, landing upside down in a dried up stream.
The chief of Salta police, Marcelo Lami, told a local radio station that the accident was likely caused by a burst tire. “The vehicle turned over, crushing many of the gendarmerie officers inside,” said Lami.
Earlier this morning, the mayor of Rosario de la Frontera, Gustavo Solís, added that the poor condition of the highway makes it dangerous. “It’s logical that the poor conditions of the highway could have provoked the accident. It’s it totally destroyed, full of pot-holes,” said Solís.
Security Minister Patricia Bullrich and Salta Governor Juan Manuel Urtubey are both travelling to the scene.
President Mauricio Macri sent his condolences to the families of the victims, saying: “All of Argentina is with you.”
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