Abdelrahman
A tragic bus accident in Guatemala resulted in the loss of at least 50 lives after the vehicle plunged off a bridge and into a contaminated ravine.
Early on Monday, February 10, the bus, which was traveling from Progreso—approximately 58 miles northeast of Guatemala City—collided with two other vehicles on Belice Bridge, leading to its loss of control. Reports from The New York Times and CBS News confirm that the bus fell 115 feet into a stream tainted with sewage.
The bus broke through a metal safety barrier, landing upside down partially submerged, trapping some passengers inside, as detailed by CBS News. Images from the scene depicted the bus’s front submerged, with cracked windows adding to the devastation.
According to The Tico Times, an English-language news outlet from Costa Rica, the bus was carrying over 70 passengers. A video from The New York Times revealed footage of at least one male passenger being evacuated on a stretcher from the wreckage, although no information about his condition was available.
Guatemala City’s Mayor, Ricardo Quiñónez, announced via social media that emergency services had been dispatched and traffic police were rerouting vehicles in the area.
The volunteer fire department, Benemérito Cuerpo Voluntario de Bomberos de Guatemala, reported on Facebook that it took over six and a half hours to recover the bodies trapped inside the bus. Meanwhile, Cruz Roja Guatemalteca, a humanitarian organization, provided psychosocial support and pre-hospital care to around 100 family members at the scene.
Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo addressed the nation via social media, labeling the incident a "tragedy." He expressed his condolences to the families affected, pledging solidarity and support. The president indicated that he has mobilized personnel from the National Army, along with government disaster relief agency CONRED, to assist at the site and announced plans for a national mourning period to honor the victims.
Claudinne Ogaldes, CONRED’s executive secretary, confirmed that the crash resulted in over 50 fatalities. The National Civil Police subsequently reported the death toll to be 54, with several others sustaining injuries.
Rescue and recovery operations have now concluded, according to Ogaldes, with the local emergency center remaining operational. Officials urged the public to stay informed through official channels and to allow authorities to identify the victims respectfully.
The forensics institute, INACIF, announced that it had identified 23 victims, with the cause of death attributed to polytrauma—a condition involving multiple serious injuries.
Polytrauma is considered life-threatening and involves complex injury patterns that may result in significant disability, as described by the National Institutes of Health.
Stay informed about developments by signing up for PEOPLE’s daily newsletter, which covers a wide range of stories, including notable human interest features and celebrity news.
As for the situation, INACIF revealed that there are 14 bodies pending identification in its morgue, including those of three minors. By Monday night, authorities had managed to hand over the remains of 35 individuals to their respective families, as confirmed by the National Civil Police of Guatemala.
