Official: at least 34 dead in Guatemala bus crash

A bus plunged into a deep river canyon in northwest Guatemala today and at least 34 people were killed, a rescue worker said.
Mario Cruz, the spokesman for the volunteer fire department in the area, said another 45 injured people had been taken to hospitals.
Cruz said about 80 people were aboard the bus, which had been headed for Guatemala City. The dead included at least three babies.
"Some of the people were rescued with hydraulic equipment, and others were thrown (from the bus) at the time of the accident," Cruz said.
Volunteer firefighter Juan Pablo Ucla said the bus fell into a river at the bottom of the 600-foot canyon around 8:15 AM (local time).

The area around the municipality of San Martín Jilotepeque has mostly dirt roads that wind through steep mountains without guardrails or other safety measures.