Six injured after Club Atletico Huracan bus overturns in Venezuela

Five soccer players and a physical trainer from Argentina's Club Atletico Huracan were injured on Wednesday after the bus transporting the team to the Maiquetia 'Simon Bolivar' International Airport, in the central-northern state of Vargas, overturned.

There were problems with the vehicles brakes, presumably due to a mechanical fault, hence the driver decided to use the emergency braking ramp, causing the bus to overturn.

The driver was able to avoid the bus falling off a cliff, according to player Ramon Abila.

"The brakes stopped working and the gearbox broke. We were able to brake a little on the ramp. We were moving backwards towards the cliff and (the driver) was able to hit the mountain. if he hadn't done that then we would have gone over the cliff," forward Abila told a local radio show.

"After we hit the mountain, the bus overturned. We were scared when we saw diesel coming out of the bus as we thought it was going to explode. It was a nerve-racking moment," added the player.

The consequences could have been a lot worse, according to Abila.

Thirty-four people belonging to the Argentinian soccer team were travelling in the bus.

The worst affected were players Patricio Toranzo and Diego Mendoza and the club's physical trainer, Pablo Santaella.

Toranzo, former player for China's Shanghai Shenhua, injured his left foot and was transported to a local hospital where four of his toes were later partially amputated.

Forward Mendoza underwent surgery to remove broken glass that had got stuck in his right ankle.

Santaella is currently in a private clinic recovering from surgery to stop the internal bleeding caused when he fractured his pelvis in the accident.

The rest of the injured players were admitted to other local medical centers for medical checks to be carried out.

"Thanks to God we are all fine, a bit shaken up, but fine. We didn't realise what happened and we are worried about the guys that were hurt more," Abila told Cordoba's Cadena 3 radio station.

Club Atletico Huracan won a pass to the group stage of the Copa Libertadores de America despite losing 2-1 on Tuesday against Caracas Football Club in the Venezuelan capital's Olympic stadium.

The team were on their way to the airport to return to Argentina when the accident occurred.

According to local media, the team will stay in a hotel close to the airport until the group are ready to return to Argentina once again. Enditem