At least 18 dead in two separate road accidents in Bolivia

At least 18 people were killed and 10 others injured in two separate road accidents on departmental motorways in Bolivia, a senior police officer said Friday.

Marco Miranda, transit commander for the central department of Quillacollo, told local media that the first incident occurred on the western Cochabamba-Oruro highway, when a local mini-van carrying passengers crashed head-on into a bus.

The second accident happened on the southern Potosi-Sucre highway, where a Trans Azul bus overturned after going into a ditch.

When talking about the first accident, Miranda said "so far we know that the accident was caused by lane invasion. Fieldwork is currently being carried out along with gathering statements. We will formally announce the findings later."

The bus driver said on local television that the mini-van lost control and that its roof practically directly hit his bus.

"I was unable to dodge it. The driver (of the mini-van) said he didn't know the road. He was travelling towards Oruro for the first time," said the driver.

There were 12 people aboard the mini-van and 10 of them died. Five of the deceased were minors, according to initial reports.

Two survivors are the driver and a five-year-old child who is currently being attended to at a local hospital. The mini-van driver was unharmed.

"The small passenger vehicle was travelling from Cochabamba to Oruro and the bus was heading in the opposite direction, The impact was so strong that the bodies are unrecognizable," said Miranda.

When discussing the second accident, the police commander said eight people died and at least seven were injured.

The injured were taken to the nearby Daniel Bracamonte hospital. The police and fire department were at the scene of the accident to recover the bodies and help the injured. Enditem