Colombia school bus plunges into ravine; 17 dead
In a tragic turn of events, a school bus plunged into a ravine in northwest Colombia, leading to the death of 16 students and the driver and 20 injuries, three of them being in a critical condition. The bus was carrying students travelling from a Caribbean beach on Colombia’s coast. The students, mostly aged 16 to 18 years, were returning after celebrating their graduation when the bus plummeted 40 metres deep, news agency AFP reported.Antioquia Department Governor Andres Julian Rendon updated about the bodies of the deceased being airborne heading to the Medellín Legal Medicine Institute. “A Colombia Police helicopter is already airborne, heading to the Medellín Legal Medicine Institute with the bodies of the 17 people who died in the crash on the Northeast roads,” Rendon wrote in a post on X, “They include 16 students and the bus driver.” Colombian President Gustavo Petro also shared his condolences with the families, expressing his grief at the young lives being lost. “I don’t like it when young people die,” he wrote, “Even less when they’re off to study or rest, full of joy. I’m so sorry for them and their families. They’re the bad news in our homeland.” The Colombian ministry of transport also updated on the situation, stating they were in coordination with the National Road Safety Agency to constantly monitor the situation and find the cause. “From the ministry and @ansvcol, we are carrying out permanent monitoring of the incident recorded on the roads of Antioquia and coordinating actions with the authorities to address the emergency,” the ministry wrote. Road authorities reported that Colombia recorded an average of 22 traffic-related deaths per day in 2024.
