19 killed in explosive crash in northwestern Peru

Nineteen people have been killed in northwestern Peru after witnesses say a truck carrying school supplies crashed into a motorcycle and a small public bus.

Nineteen people have been killed in northwestern Peru after witnesses say a truck carrying school supplies crashed into a motorcycle and a small public bus.

Fire Chief Victor Fernandez says the truck hit the bus on Saturday at such a high speed that it created a giant explosion and most of the victims were found charred. (AFP/Representative Image)

Fire Chief Victor Fernandez says the truck hit the bus on Saturday at such a high speed that it created a giant explosion and most of the victims were found charred.

Forensic examiners at a morgue in the nearby city of Trujillo are working to identify the remains with dental records.

Data from Peru’s National Institute of Statistics and Informatics show nearly 3,000 people were killed on the Andean country’s roads in more than 95,000 crashes in 2015.

Speeding and reckless driving are principal causes of the road deaths.