Two interprovincial buses were involved in a violent collision at kilometer 99 of the Central Highway, in the dangerous stretch known as Curva del Diablo. The accident occurred when a vehicle from the Selva company collided with a unit from the Huaribamba company that had stopped due to falling rocks on the road.
The crash occurred in the midst of intense rains that continue to affect the area, leaving the driver of the Selva bus trapped in the cabin and requiring a rescue operation by firefighters and police officers, according to Canal N.
Bus stopped due to obstacles on the road
According to testimonies collected from passengers, the Huaribamba company bus reduced its speed and stopped when it encountered large stones that partially blocked the lane. These landslides are frequent in the rainy season that the region goes through.
The vehicle coming from Huancayo bound for Pangoa, belonging to the Selva company, was traveling behind and apparently failed to brake in time due to the sudden stop of the other bus, causing the impact from the rear.
At the time of the accident, the rain was intensifying in the sector, reducing visibility and complicating driving conditions in this area considered high risk due to its geography.
Constant landslides in the rainy season
Passengers and witnesses to the accident confirmed that falling stones from the hills is a recurring problem on this stretch of the Central Highway during the rainy season. According to the information provided in the area, this season there are constant landslides that force drivers to maneuver with extreme caution or stop completely to avoid hitting natural obstacles.
This situation turns sectors such as the Devil’s Curve into critical points where the risk of accidents increases, especially when adverse weather conditions limit the drivers’ ability to react.
The driver of the Selva company bus turned out to be the person most affected by the crash, being trapped inside the cabin after the strong impact. The structure of the vehicle suffered deformations that prevented its immediate exit.
Firefighters quickly arrived at the scene along with members of the National Police of Peru to carry out rescue efforts. After several minutes of work, they managed to extract the driver from the twisted iron.
Once released, the driver was rushed to the “Julio César Demarini Caro” Regional Hospital of Tropical Medicine, located in the city of La Merced, where he receives specialized medical care. To date, the severity of his injuries has not been officially reported.
PNP will carry out technical inspection
The National Police of Peru reported that they will proceed to carry out the corresponding technical inspection to precisely determine the causes of the accident that occurred on this section of the Central Highway.
Investigators will need to evaluate factors such as the speed of the vehicles, the condition of the braking systems, visibility at the time of impact and the exact circumstances that led to the collision.
The result of this inspection will be essential to establish responsibilities and determine if there were mechanical failures, human errors or if weather and road conditions were the determining factors in this accident, which could have had more serious consequences.
The authorities continue to monitor traffic conditions on the Central Highway, where the alert remains due to persistent rains and constant rock falls that put vehicles traveling along this important communication route to the central jungle of the country at risk.
