Bus plunges into Peru gorge killing 37

LIMA, Peru - Thirty-seven people died and 17 were injured when a bus plunged into a gorge in Peru's central Andes, the government said on Sunday local time. 

The bus was carrying local people along a winding road near the remote village of Pampas, 380 kms north of Lima, when it fell into the 300 metre gorge on Saturday.  

Heavy rain and fog caused the driver to lose control of the bus, survivors told local media. Officials declined to comment on the cause of the accident.  

"Following the rescue of the bodies, it has been confirmed that 37 people died, seven of whom have not been identified," the Health Ministry said in a statement.  

Hundreds of people die in bus crashes every year in Peru because of perilous roads, poorly maintained vehicles and bad judgment by drivers in treacherous weather.  

- REUTERS