Guatemala Bus Accident Kills 42

GUATEMALA CITY – At least 42 people died Monday when a Guatemalan bus plunged into a ravine, emergency workers said. Police said the bus crashed into a stanchion of a bridge outside the small town of Chiantla, some 290 kilometers northwest of this capital, and plummeted 60 meters down a steep slope.

One emergency-response worker said that 47 people were aboard the bus. He said 41 bodies were recovered from the wreckage after the roof of the vehicle was cut away, and that six injured individuals were taken to the hospital in Chiantla, where one died.

At least six of the fatalities were children. Local media quoted police as saying the bus driver was drunk, but that could not immediately be confirmed.