A 73-year-old man from Hilversum and a woman (74) from Haarlem died yesterday in a bus accident in the South American country of Ecuador. Twelve Dutch people were also injured. They made a group trip with a total of 21 Dutch people.
This is reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The injured are between 41 and 75 years old. Two of them are in critical condition. It is not yet clear where these people come from. A man from Ecuador was also injured.
Local media reports that the bus driver is believed to have lost control near the town of Tena and then collided with another bus, reports the NOS. That happened near a bridge. Photos show that the tourist bus is tilted on the road.
According to the newspaper El Universe it took an hour for emergency services to arrive at the scene of the accident. Other drivers are said to have helped to get passengers off the bus.
Eurocross emergency center has opened a special telephone number for those involved at the request of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A spokesperson for the Ministry reports to NH Nieuws that it may come up with more updates at a later date.