At least 54 die in Guatemala after bus plunges off bridge

(CNN) — At least 54 people were killed after a bus veered off a bridge into a ravine in Guatemala City on Monday, according to the country’s National Institute of Forensic Sciences.

The bus was traveling across Belize Bridge in zone six of the Guatemalan capital when it plunged into the ravine, officials said

Images of the wreckage posted on social media by emergency teams show the bus overturned and partially submerged in water. Debris can be seen scattered around the bus, both on the ground and in the water.

Photos posted to social media by the Guatemalan army show several dead bodies lying on the bank of the ravine.

In the early hours of Monday morning, emergency teams had to work in the dark to rescue people from the wreckage, using headlamps and flashlights to see, videos posted to X by the country’s volunteer firefighter service showed.

Later, police officers, volunteer firefighters, municipal firefighters, members of the army and members of the Guatemalan Red Cross worked to recover bodies from the scene.

Guatemala City’s Mayor, Ricardo Quiñonez Lemus, posted to Facebook that he deployed “all emergency agencies to expedite rescue operations.”

The President of Guatemala, Bernardo Arévalo, called the tragedy a “national pain,” writing on X that he stands ” in solidarity with the families of the victims who today woke up to heartbreaking news.”

“Their pain is my pain,” he posted, declaring a period of national mourning.

The Guatemalan Red Cross said in a post on X that it was providing psychological support to the family members of those who died in the accident.

This story has been updated with additional developments.

The-CNN-Wire
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