At least 11 dead and twenty injured when a bus falls off a bridge in Honduras

At least eleven people died and twenty were injured this Tuesday in Honduras when the bus they were traveling in fell off a bridge, official sources reported.

“We have eleven people dead, one of them died at the Teaching Hospital in Tegucigalpa,” Honduran Fire Department spokesman Cristian Sevilla told reporters. In addition, he pointed out that the number of deaths could increase in the coming hours, given the seriousness of some of the injured.

The accident occurred this morning in the department of Francisco Morazán, east of Tegucigalpa, specifically at kilometer 32 of the highway between the municipality of Talanga and the capital.. The bus left the road and fell off a bridge, according to information from the Honduran Red Cross and the Honduran Fire Department.

Apparently a cargo transport took away the right of way from the bus, whose unidentified driver lost control, causing it to fall off the bridge. The injured, among whom there are several in critical condition, were transferred to the capital's Teaching Hospital in ambulances, vehicles and helicopters of the Honduran Air Force.

The president of Honduras, Xiomara Castro, lamented the death of the eleven people on the social network

“It is our responsibility to help the affected people, victims of the bus accident. Instructions have been given to the relevant agencies to deal with this emergency. We are supportive and committed to providing them with all the necessary support in these difficult times,” Castro said.

Traffic accidents represent the second cause of violent deaths in Honduras, where more than five people die every day for this reason, according to official figures. More than 1,500 people have died in Honduras in traffic accidents so far in 2023, 0.8% more than in the same period in 2022, according to data from the National Directorate of Roads and Transportation (DNTV).

The main causes of traffic accidents in the Central American country are excessive speed, lack of attention at the wheel, technical defects, improper overtaking, the effects of alcoholic beverages and excess passengers, according to DNTV authorities. The poor condition of the roads, the recklessness of pedestrians and not respecting traffic signs also have an impact.