Living in Peru : your everyday companion

Tragic Bus Accident in Peru Kills 14 and Injures 35

(LIP-ir) -- Peru’s National Highway Patrol has reported that a head-on collision between 2 buses at kilometer 555 of the Panamericana Sur Highway, in the jurisdiction of Acarí in Arequipa, has left 14 dead and 35 injured.

Colonel Victor Ordinola, Chief of the Highway Patrol, reported that the buses which crashed into each other, was a bus belonging to Civa bus service, on its way to Lima and a bus belonging to Cueva bus service, on its way from Nazca to Acarì.

The Colonel specified that 4 of the passengers that lost their lives in the tragic accident, 2 adults and 2 minors, were passengers on the bus belonging to Civa bus service, while the other 10 people were aboard the bus belonging to Cueva bus service.

According to reports, injured passengers are being seen at a medical station in Acarí and at a hospital in Nazca. Meanwhile, family members of the passengers aboard are waiting at Civa bus station in La Victoria, Lima, Peru.

Last week 30 people were killed in two bus accidents which took place in Peru, one of the companies was Civa.

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# Joseph Ehrlich says :
7 August, 2007 [ 13:14 ]

I am taking the bus on that route next month. Now I am wondering why I reserved Seat #1.

# americorps says :
7 August, 2007 [ 17:50 ]

I think the minister of transportation should be tossed in prison. I remember reading an interview telling about trying to upgrade the bus and transportation situation and backing down because the drivers threatened to strand all Peru if he messes with their livlihood.

If he had a spine, he would have went on the news the the families of the 3000 some odd families who have lost loved ones on unsafe buses over the last few years and say...

I do not give a rats behind what the drivers say, I can not in good faith serve peru and allow this continual rash of unsafe buses continue to tear lives apart, I can not allow our government to keep responding to the death and injuries and broken families.

I realize he has limited resources, but the unsafe bus/combi issues is getting out of control.

# Mike says :
8 August, 2007 [ 08:58 ]

I am guessing that the buses collided head-on because one was trying to pass another vehicle and went into the opposing lane to do so?

I think training and harsher penalties for drivers caught doing this might be a start on a solution.

# tabatha campbell says :
9 August, 2007 [ 12:12 ]

i know firsthand the experienceof riding in one of these ""combi"" they are very dangerous to the live s of every human being that gets onto one of these buses....my husband is living in lima, peru....that is where he is from...i was there for 2 months visiting family....the combi's are awful..the drivers do not care about the well being of their passengers...people are packed in like sardines...they drive erractically and crazy all ove rthe road...pasing other combi's full of passengers..something needs to be done about this growing problem in lima,peru.....how many more lives will be taken before they fix the problem......

# Mike says :
9 August, 2007 [ 12:26 ]

Were they really combis?  The photo is of a regular bus, or tour bus, not a combi.

# Joseph Ehrlich says :
9 August, 2007 [ 12:34 ]

I hope that someone in the Government Tourism Bureau understands what Google is and how it impacts the plans of potential tourists to Peru (like me) who are finding this scary thread on the internet and reading all about it.

# snoopy says :
9 August, 2007 [ 13:09 ]

I hope it too, Joseph. Buses, combis, traffic jams, it’s always the same, I feel bad for this situation and the worst thing is that it seems to be no way out. tabatha campbell is right, combis are the worst experience you can live here in Peru, but the everyday accidents are not always on the news since it has became a common issue in our society, too bad! Anyway Peru is a nice and outstanding place to visit but as many other parts in the world you have to be careful. Have a good day everyone

# Mike says :
9 August, 2007 [ 14:08 ]

I understand that some people may look at this and think "Peru is a dangerous place,"  but really, accidents happen in all countries with cars.  I would never go somewhere because of car accidents.

Social and political problems might hold me back.....

# Joseph Ehrlich says :
9 August, 2007 [ 14:28 ]

"Social and political problems might hold me back....."

Forget travel in the USA then....

# Mike says :
9 August, 2007 [ 16:19 ]

Hmmmm.....well, riots don't happen too often in the USA, and the toppling or dissolution of governments is pretty rare....the economy is pretty stable....strikes or demonstrations are rare and do no cripple sectors of the country or economy usually.....

So, I'm not sure what you are referring to.

If you are referring to general 'angst' that gets plastered and 'hyped' all over the media, well, good luck at finding a country that doesn't happen in.  Unless it is one where they execute journalists for dissenting opinions.

# Joseph Ehrlich says :
9 August, 2007 [ 16:31 ]

Re-adjust irony detector and note the emoticon...

# Mike says :
9 August, 2007 [ 18:03 ]

Will do.

# Barbie says :
17 October, 2007 [ 10:13 ]

How can I find out if any Americans were injured on these buses?  We have family vacationing in Peru.

# Mike says :
17 October, 2007 [ 10:16 ]

Your family has been vacationing since early August and you haven't heard from them or about them?

# Amy says :
17 October, 2007 [ 11:19 ]

Hi Barbie, I think Mike is trying to say this is an old article referring to a crash in August.  If you ever need to track down U.S. citizens in another country, call the State Department in the U.S. for help.