LA PAZ, March 3 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from a head-on collision on a highway in west Bolivia early Monday has climbed to 31, with approximately 20 others sustaining serious injuries, police said.
The accident on the highway that connects the Bolivian departments of Oruro and Potosi initially reported between 15 and 20 fatalities, but that number has risen and may continue to climb if those wounded succumb to their injuries, the spokesman for the Departmental Police Command of Potosi, Limbert Choque, told local media.
According to preliminary reports, a passenger bus operated by a company called Challapata was carrying more than 50 passengers when it collided head-on with a van traveling in the opposite direction.
After the impact, the passenger bus plunged into a ravine, about 90 kilometers from the city of Potosi.
"Regrettably, 31 lifeless bodies have arrived at the Bracamonte Hospital, including men, women and minors," said Choque.
The driver of the van was injured and remains hospitalized under police custody.
"We presume that the van driver invaded the lane, which caused the impact," Choque said.
Medical teams and police officers were dispatched to the scene of the accident to assist the survivors, but due to difficulty accessing the site, rescue efforts took several hours.
This is the second serious roadway accident to occur during Bolivia's carnival celebrations, following a head-on collision between two long-haul buses on the same road on March 1, which resulted in 37 deaths and 39 injuries. ■
