8 dead, 16 injured as bus plummets in Ecuador

Eight people died and six others were injured when a bus hurtled off a road and into a gorge in Ecuador’s southern Andes, security officials said on Thursday.

The Ministry of Public Health said the vehicle plunged some 250 metres after going off the road yesterday in Canar province.

The Ministry of Public Health did not disclose how many people were riding the bus, but said eight people were killed and six injured in the crash.

The bus was serving a route between the cities of Cuenca and Guayaquil.

An average of 14 people a day die in traffic accidents in Ecuador, according to watchdog groups that promote road safety.

Road accidents are one of the leading causes of death in Ecuador.