13 killed, 29 hurt as bus crashes into ravine in Colombia

At least 13 people died, and 30 were injured after a bus plunged into a 150-meter (492-foot) ravine Friday on the Pan-American Highway in southwestern Colombia, authorities reported.

The accident occurred around 7 a.m. on a mountainous road in Nariño Department near the Ecuadorian border. 11 victims died at the scene, while 2 more succumbed to injuries later. 29 others, including the driver, remain hospitalized.

The bus was transporting tourists to the Sanctuary of Las Lajas, a pilgrimage site built within the Guáitara River canyon, 7 km (4.3 miles) from the Ecuadorian border.

Nariño Governor Luis Alfonso Escobar blamed the crash on the driver’s decision to take an alternate route to avoid tolls. Mechanical failure and excessive speed are being investigated as possible causes.

President Gustavo Petro expressed condolences, noting police are leading the emergency response. "We have a road disaster in Nariño. A private tourist bus veered off the road, resulting in 11 fatalities so far. Regrettable. The police are in charge of the emergency operation," he wrote on X.