Ecuador traffic crash leaves 5 dead, 12 injured

Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-24 03:58:57|Editor: yan
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QUITO, June 23 (Xinhua) -- At least five people were killed and 12 injured on Friday in a traffic crash on a highway, said the country's emergency system, ECU 911.

A passenger bus and a car crashed shortly before 8 a.m. local time on the highway linking the northeastern Ecuadorian province of Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas with the coastal province of Los Rios.

The incident was reported on the ECU 911 line and technical personnel and emergency rescue units were dispatched.

Witnesses said that passengers had to leave the bus by breaking windows or through an emergency exit, on the top of the overturned vehicle.

ECU 911 reported four deaths initially, but another passenger later died of his injuries. The injured have been sent to four local hospitals for treatment.

The highway remained closed to vehicle traffic while the rescue work continued.

Traffic accidents are a major cause of death in Ecuador, with local authorities blaming inexperienced drivers driving at excessive speeds.

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