Public Transport Attacks Leave 152 Dead in Lima and Callao, Districts With High Crime Rates Most Affected

Public transportation in Lima and Callao has become a deadly target for extortion-related violence, with 152 people killed and 131 injured between August 2024 and May 2026. During this period, 214 attacks occurred, averaging nearly ten incidents and seven fatalities per month, according to a report by the Public Ministry's Criminality Observatory.

The most heavily impacted districts are San Juan de Lurigancho, Comas, and San Juan de Miraflores, areas also grappling with high rates of extortion, aggravated homicide, and contract killings. The attacks frequently involved direct assaults on buses, vans, and mototaxis, even when passengers were present. San Juan de Lurigancho recorded 24 attacks, followed by Comas with 22 and San Juan de Miraflores with 17.

When examining fatalities, Comas reported the highest number with 15 deaths, followed by San Juan de Lurigancho with 14 and San Juan de Miraflores with 13. The report highlights that drivers are the most vulnerable, constituting 69.3% of victims, significantly more than passengers (20.5%) and fare collectors (5.3%). This underscores the extreme risk faced by those working daily in public transport.

Firearms were used in 97.7% of attacks resulting in casualties, and motorcycles were the preferred mode of transport for assailants, appearing in 60.3% of cases for both arrival and escape. The findings paint a grim picture of organized crime's impact on essential public services and the daily lives of commuters and workers in Peru's capital region.