Bus Falls Into Deep Ravine In Northern Peru, Eight Dead As Rescue Teams Battle Terrain

Cajamarca, Peru— Eight people were killed Saturday when a passenger bus veered off a mountain highway and plunged into a ravine in northern Peru.

The accident occurred around 4:30 a.m. on October 25, 2026 on the PE-3N route between Cajamarca and Bambamarca. The bus was carrying 32 passengers. It missed a tight curve at kilometer 42 and dropped nearly 150 meters down a rocky slope.

The bus rolled multiple times. The roof collapsed. Luggage and bodies were scattered along the ravine. Survivors climbed out through broken windows and called for help with cell phones that barely had signal.

Peru National Police said the driver, who died at the scene, may have fallen asleep or lost brakes on the descent. The road has no guardrail at that curve. Locals said the stretch is known for fog and loose gravel after overnight rain.

"We heard the engine braking hard, then nothing, then screams from below," a farmer who lives 200 meters from the curve said. "We went down with ropes. It was dark. The bus was on its side."

Rescue teams from Bambamarca and Cajamarca took more than two hours to reach the wreck due to narrow roads and landslide debris. Red Cross volunteers formed a human chain to carry the injured up the slope. Heavy rain started at 7 a.m., complicating extraction.

El Comercio reported that the bus belonged to a regional company operating interprovincial routes. The company said the vehicle had passed technical inspection in September. Police seized the maintenance logs and the tachograph.

Hospitals in Cajamarca received 18 injured, including four children. Doctors listed three in critical condition with head trauma. Families gathered at the terminal in Cajamarca after hearing news on radio.

The mountain highway remained partially closed while cranes attempted to lift the chassis. Prosecutors opened a negligent homicide investigation.

By afternoon, police had recovered all eight bodies. Identification was delayed. The road was reopened to one lane with officers directing traffic.