Seventeen dead in Honduran bus crash

February 28, 2024 09:11 PM

At least 17 people died when two buses collided Wednesday in northwestern Honduras, firefighters said.

The crash happened at dawn on a curvy, mountainous road with a single lane in each direction. Another 12 people were injured.

One of the buses, empty after dropping off a group of migrants on the border with Guatemala, was headed back to central Honduras while the other, smaller bus, was headed in the opposite direction full of passengers for the city of Santa Rosa de Copan.

The injured were taken to a hospital in Santa Rosa de Copan, some 300 kilometers (186 miles) from the Central American country's capital Tegucigalpa.

Road accidents are the second cause of death in Honduras after murders, according to official figures.

Local media reported that all the victims were Honduran.

President Xiomara Castro said on X she had learnt of the crash "with deep consternation ana pain," and offered condolences to the next-of-kin of those who died.

"I have instructed the relevant teams and institutions to provide all the necessary support at this difficult time," she added.

Thousands of migrants cross through Honduras every day from South America on the long road to the United States in search of a better life.

In October last year, four migrants died when a bus crashed into a ravine in the same region.