At least 16 dead and 14 injured in traffic accident in Bolivia

Sixteen people were killed and 14 injured in a head-on collision between a truck and a passenger bus on a highway in the Bolivian Andes, police said.

“So far there are 16 dead and 14 injured who have already been taken to hospital,” said traffic police officer Nilo Torrico, adding that the drivers of both vehicles were dead.

The accident occurred on a road between the Bolivian city of Patacamaya and the town of Tambo Quemado in northern Chile, Torrico told television station Unitel.

The bus was traveling towards Chile on the busy trade and tourist route that connects the two South American countries.

Initial investigations revealed that the truck entered the oncoming lane while attempting to overtake a vehicle, Torrico said.

“This truck performed a prohibited maneuver and as a result this unfortunate accident occurred,” he added.

Pictures of the accident shared by Unitel showed that the front of the bus was smashed and the truck was demolished.

Some bodies were seen on the street.

First responders were working to recover bodies trapped in the wrecked vehicles, Torrico said.

According to government statistics, there are about 1,400 road deaths in Bolivia each year. Most accidents are due to driver error and mechanical failures.

On April 4, 14 people were killed and two injured in a collision on a busy road in southwest Bolivia.