LA PAZ, March 12 (Xinhua) -- At least 13 people were killed and about 20 others were injured in a bus accident Wednesday on the road connecting the southern Bolivian departments of Potosi and Chuquisaca, local authorities said.
The director of the Potosi Transit Operations Agency, Col. Victor Benavidez, confirmed the death toll and told local media that fatalities could rise due to the seriousness of some injuries.
"Hopefully, the death toll will not increase, but there are several injured people who are in critical condition," said Benavidez.
According to the initial report, the bus crashed around noon near the municipality of Ocuri after it veered off the road and hit a rock.
The bus departed from the central city of Cochabamba and was heading for the western department of Oruro, but due to landslides on the main road following heavy rains across Bolivia, the driver took an alternate route through the southern city of Sucre.
Initial investigations indicate the bus driver was unfamiliar with the route and traveling at high speed, and lost control of the vehicle.
Two other fatal accidents were reported earlier this month in the same highland region of Potosi, resulting in at least 68 deaths and dozens of injuries. ■
