Ten killed and four injured after minibus plunges into Yungas ravine

Early Monday morning, a minibus traveling on a dirt road near Irupana in the Yungas mountains slipped and dropped roughly 25 metres into a deep ravine beside a river. Police reports indicate ten people died in the impact, while four others sustained injuries and were transported to medical facilities in La Paz. Colonel Ricardo Terrazas, head of the La Paz department police, announced the figures and noted that authorities have opened a road-safety inquiry.

The victims were largely workers from a nearby mine, according to one outlet media. Bolivia experiences about 1,400 road deaths annually, a toll attributed mainly to driver recklessness and vehicle failures, as cited by the interior ministry. The investigation will seek to determine whether terrain, vehicle condition, or human error caused the tragedy.