By Xinhua
Mexico City : At least 45 people, including four children, four women and 37 men, were killed Friday in a passenger bus accident in Guatemala, according to reports reaching here.
The bus heading from Guatemala to El Salvador went straight into the ravine, 80 km east of the capital of Guatemala City at about 2315 GMT, when the driver failed to make a sharp turn.
The accident also injured at least 15 others who had been taken to nearby hospitals for treatment. But two of them died later in hospital, according to the latest reports.
The rescue and relief work is underway, officials said, and the death toll is likely to rise, given the serious condition of the injured.
Guatemalan Vice President Rafael Espada has rushed to a hospital to provide moral support for some victims and their families.
Espada told reporters gathered at the hospital that the medical personnel are trying to make miracles, but they need moral and administrative support.
Reports quoted witnesses as saying that speeding was a probable cause of the accident.