At least four people were killed and 16 injured on Tuesday in a head-on collision between a coach and a lorry on a road in central Buenos Aires Province, medical and emergency sources reported.
The crash occurred in the early hours of the morning on National Route 3, near kilometre 132, close to the town of San Miguel del Monte, about 110 kilometres south-west of the capital.
Visibility at the time was severely reduced due to heavy fog, according to officials.
The coach, operated by private company Cóndor Estrella, had departed from the city of Azul, some 300 kilometres to the west, and was en route to Buenos Aires City.
The bus collided head-on with a lorry travelling in the opposite direction. The company has not yet confirmed how many passengers in total were on board.
“When firefighters arrived, the driver of the lorry was already deceased, and the other three fatalities were passengers on the coach,” said Francisco Gutiérrez, fire chief for San Miguel del Monte, who led the rescue operation.
He noted that “there was a lot of fog” in the area and added that accidents on this stretch of road are frequent.
Sixteen people were injured in the crash and taken to Hospital Zenón Videla Dorna in San Miguel del Monte, around 25 kilometres from the site. Of those, six were classified as seriously injured, though only one remains in critical condition. The patient was later transferred to Hospital Cuenca Alta in Cañuelas for specialised care, according to reports.
The majority of the injured suffered multiple trauma and fractures, according to hospital sources. All victims were adults.
Firefighters and emergency personnel remained at the scene for several hours. Authorities warned of delays along the route due to the ongoing operation.
– TIMES/AFP/NA
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