LIMA, July 22 (Xinhua) -- At least nine people, mostly musicians from a folkloric orchestra, were killed in central Peru early Monday when a bus veered off the road and plunged about 200 meters into a ravine, local media reported.
According to news radio station Radio Programas del Peru (RPP), the tragic accident occurred around 4:00 a.m. local time (0900 GMT) on the La Oroya-Tarma highway. The bus were carrying 20 members of the renowned Antologia del Folklore orchestra.
One of the musicians, Gilmer Diego Venturo, told RPP that the group was en route to Lima, the capital of Peru, where they had a scheduled performance.
Recounting the harrowing experience, the musician said, "We were all sleeping ... I only woke up after I was thrown off the highway, I was thrown some 50 meters when I woke up ... my colleagues were shouting for help, those who were less seriously injured."
Venturo said that the bus was not speeding but "was going uphill." He also described the overall trip as "calm."
Yoni Rolando Valderrama, the head of the National Police Highway Protection Department, told RPP that the bus had deviated from an authorized route. However, he also emphasized that the exact cause of the accident "is still under investigation." ■
