12 killed as vehicle plunges into abyss in Peru

At least 12 people have been killed when a vehicle they were travelling in plunged 100 meters down an abyss in western Peru, EFE news agency has reported citing media reports.

According Radio Programas del Peru (RPP), the accident occurred on Saturday when the vehicle carrying 23 passengers skidded off the highway near the peasant community of Vichaycocha, some 100 km, north of Peru's capital Lima.

The injured were rushed to a nearby hospital.

An investigation into the cause of the accident has been opened.

Last Tuesday six people, including a Frenchman and a Chilean citizen, were killed when a bus crashed down a 150-metre ravine in the Moquegua region, some 1,225 km south of Lima.

The rate of accidents in remote areas of Peru is very high because of the deteriorating condition of roads. Obsolete automobiles and faulty licence issuing system are the other factors behind the high rate of accidents in the South American country.