8 killed in road accident in central Peru

LIMA: At least eight people were killed after a passenger van collided head-on with a tractor-trailer in central Peru’s Pasco region, local media reported Monday.

The crash occurred around 8:00 a.m. local time (1300 GMT) at kilometer 157 of the central highway when the vehicle involved was heading from Pasco to Huariaca.

“So far we have eight deaths, including three minors, students at the Antioquia Educational Institution,” said Martin Berrospi, mayor of the Huariaca district, adding that authorities have launched an investigation to determine the exact causes of the accident.

Berrospi said the highway was in dire need of repairs and called on the national government to better maintain the roadway to avoid further accidents.

-Xinhua