9 people dead in three-vehicle crash in southern Peru

LIMA, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) — A three-vehicle collision on Sunday night left at least nine people dead and 16 others injured on the Costanera Highway in the southern region of Tacna in Peru, local media reported Monday.
The crash occurred at kilometer 31, near a curve known as “El Chasqui” in the La Yarada-Los Palos district, involving a bus from the Vilca transport company, a private car, and a truck carrying Andean products and sheep, according to the state news agency Andina.
Several bus passengers and the truck driver were trapped in the wreckage after the crash, while the occupants of the private car reportedly fled the scene.
Witnesses stated that the private car crossed into the wrong lane, triggering the accident. Beer cans found inside the car raised suspicions that the driver may have been intoxicated.
Emergency services, including firefighters and multiple ambulances from the Emergency Medical Service (SAMU) and local health facilities, responded to the scene.
Eddy Vicente Choque, director of Hipolito Unanue Regional Hospital, confirmed that 16 injured victims were admitted on Sunday night. By Monday morning, six had been discharged, with 10 still hospitalized. ■