The vehicular tragedy that occurred in the Río Colorado Llacamate sector, in chao districtfinally left nine people dead and two others seriously injured, who are fighting for their lives at the Belén Hospital in Trujillo. Among the fatalities are three teachers from the Ake educational institution, located in the province of Santiago de Chuco, who boarded the van driven by Deyvi Vásquez Soto (26), hoping to reunite with their families in Trujillo after a week of arduous academic work.
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Fatal
The teachers Yessica Chávez Carranza, Leonila Victorio Morales and Mariela Vásquez Becerrawho taught at the aforementioned institution, lost their lives almost instantly after the truck overturned on a 300-meter cliff. The accident, recorded last Friday around 3 in the afternoon, has hit the educational community and the entire region. The Unitary Union of Education Workers of Peru (Sutep) expressed its pain and condemnation through a statement, pointing out the precariousness of the roads and the lack of vehicle maintenance as key factors in the tragedy.
“This accident is the result of the lack of maintenance on the vehicles and the deterioration of the roads in that region. Let us remember that last week two colleagues died in an accident in Chicama”stated Sutep, through a statement.
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Mourning
For its part, Sergio Pinedo Esquivelregional secretary of Sutep in La Libertad, deeply regretted the loss of his colleagues and assured that the route they took, from Santiago de Chuco to the coast, is one of the most common routes used by teachers.
“The route they took from the province of Santiago de Chuco was the closest, with access to the coast, which is through the province of Virú. They taught at the AKE educational institution and many times, when it is the weekend, they practically have to run to find mobility and board any car to go to Trujillo. Unfortunately, they got into this truck,” he said.
In that sense, he also stated that it is inconceivable that every week thousands of teachers and educational assistants have to put their lives at risk to fulfill their duty.
“From what I have been finding out, everything was due to the driver’s failure. Many times drivers run like crazy and there is no control,” he added.
In that same context, the Regional Education Management of La Libertad (Grell) sent a message of condolences to the families of the three teachers.
“The teachers leave an irreparable void in the educational community of the region. May their memories continue to illuminate our path and serve as inspiration to move forward,” they indicated, through a statement.
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More victims
Among the deceased, there is also the minor ALJ, 12 years old, who could not resist the injuries suffered and died at the Belén Hospital in Trujillo. The teenager had been transferred from the Puente de Chao health center, along with another 6-year-old boy, ALR, and the driver Deyvi Vásquez Soto, who is also seriously injured.
The 12-year-old minor was traveling with his mother, Santos Amaranto Esquivel (47), who died at the scene of the accident. The family had taken the van to Trujillo to visit a sick relative.
“I can’t believe what’s happening, they were just going to see a relative,” Carlos Amaranto, a relative of both victims, said through tears.
The tragic accident also claimed the lives of the elderly couple Julio Ávalos Rodríguez (77) and Rosa Ávila de Ávalos (70), as well as Yudith López Castro and Elmer Bolaños Narciso. His relatives, shocked, cannot fully assimilate the magnitude of the loss. “It is a tragedy that has no explanation,” expressed some of his loved ones while making preparations for the funeral.
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Negative Streak
This accident in Chao joins a series of road tragedies that have mourned La Libertad in recent days. Just days before, 14 people lost their lives in three traffic accidents recorded in different parts of the region. On Tuesday, September 17, the collision of two buses on the highway that connects the provinces of Ascope and Gran Chimú left six dead, including six workers from an agro-industrial company and a teacher, identified as Rocío Gonzales Velásquez.
The next day, a truck got lost on the Pariamarca – Australia highway, in the district of Urpay, in the province of Pataz. The accident claimed the lives of six members of the same family. To aggravate the situation, on Friday, September 20, two people died after a motorcycle taxi crashed into a truck on Vía de Evitamiento, in Trujillo.
