12 dead after Ecuador bus slides off road, say officials

2018-03-25 08:09
Bus crash. (ER24, file)

Bus crash. (ER24, file)

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Twelve people were killed and another 25 were injured on Saturday when the bus they were traveling in careened off a road in a coastal region of western Ecuador, officials said.

"So far there are 25 injured... and 12 people died as a result of the traffic accident," a rescue agency said in a statement.

The accident occurred at around 14:00 local time (19:00 GMT) on the Jipijapa highway, in the area known as "Las Americas" of the Manabi province, according to a report from the Ecuadorian Traffic Commission.

Traffic accidents are among the leading causes of death in the Andean country.

Last week, a frontal collision between two buses in the neighbouring province of Guayas left 11 dead and 54 wounded.

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