La Paz, Bolivia—Nine people died and 15 others sustained severe injuries when a crowded passenger microbus careened off a steep, unpaved mountain pass and overturned multiple times down a rocky slope.
The vehicle was navigating a narrow highland switchback during a heavy afternoon mist when the braking system reportedly failed on a steep downward incline. The microbus smashed through a fragile rock barrier before flipping over into a deep drainage ditch.
Passing motorists and local indigenous farmers rushed to the crash site, using ropes and iron bars to pry open jammed doors and pull bleeding passengers from the mangled wreckage. Emergency ambulances arrived hours later after navigating miles of congested dirt roads.
"The grade of this specific mountain pass is notoriously treacherous, and mechanical failures under heavy loads frequently end in tragedy," stated traffic police commander Hugo Ticona at the staging area.
Regional hospitals activated emergency trauma protocols, admitting 15 injured passengers with severe bone fractures, internal trauma, and head injuries. Medical staff struggled with limited supplies of surgical anesthetics and blood plasma.
Transport ministry investigators examined the vehicle's worn tire threads and brake assembly components to determine exact mechanical liability. Preliminary inspections indicate the microbus was operating well above its maximum passenger capacity limit.
Prosecution teams ordered the detention of the transport company's regional operations manager while document audits continue. Relatives of the victims gathered outside the municipal morgue to begin formal identification procedures.
Heavy fog blanketed the high-altitude pass as tow trucks finally hauled the shattered microbus frame onto the roadway. Traffic remained restricted to single-lane crawling while maintenance crews cleared shattered glass and oil spills.
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