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Bus runs over seven people in Mar del Plata; one dead
๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ท Argentina /Disasters & Emergencies

Bus runs over seven people in Mar del Plata; one dead

From La Naciรณn · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • A bus lost control in Mar del Plata, Argentina, veering off its route and hitting seven pedestrians, killing one woman.
  • The victims, including a 15-year-old, were taken to the hospital, with two in critical condition suffering severe head trauma.
  • Authorities are investigating the cause, with initial hypotheses pointing to a possible mechanical failure, and the driver is undergoing an alcohol test.

A tragic accident unfolded in Mar del Plata, Argentina, on Monday afternoon when a public bus veered out of control, striking seven pedestrians near the city's bustling boardwalk. The incident, which occurred on Boulevard Peralta Ramos, a high-traffic area serving numerous bus lines, resulted in the death of one woman and left six others injured.

The bus, belonging to line 532, reportedly left its designated public transport lane and mounted the sidewalk where passengers were waiting. Among the victims rushed to the Hospital Interzonal General de Agudos (Higa) were four women, a 15-year-old adolescent, and a 40-year-old man. The adolescent and a 60-year-old woman are in critical condition, having sustained severe head trauma. Two other individuals suffered femur and hip fractures, while the remaining two sustained multiple injuries.

Emergency services, including SAME medical teams, firefighters, police, and Civil Defense agents, responded swiftly to the scene. However, one witness criticized the police response time, stating it took 15 minutes for officers to arrive. The bus driver remained inside the vehicle initially, reportedly due to fear of reprisal from bystanders.

Eyewitnesses reported hearing that the driver lost control of the bus for reasons yet unknown, with one young woman stating, "They say he tried to move it but crashed." The primary hypothesis under investigation by the Prosecutor's Office for Culprit Crimes suggests a potential mechanical failure occurred as the driver entered the bus stop area. Witnesses also indicated the bus entered the dedicated passenger waiting zone at a significant speed. The driver has been taken into custody, and an alcohol test has been ordered as part of the ongoing investigation by forensic experts to reconstruct the vehicle's path.

15 minutes in mandar a dos policรญas

โ€” WitnessA witness criticized the police response time, stating it took "15 minutes to send two police officers."
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by La Naciรณn in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.