At least 16 people, including six minors, were killed the day before and another 26 were injured when a bus overturned in northern Nicaragua, authorities and local media reported in recent hours.

The bus, carrying 70 passengers, overturned and collided with a fence on Saturday after “losing direction” on the Mancera Bridge, located in the municipality of Matagalpa, about 130 kilometers north of Managua, its vice president said country Rosario Murillo. the official channel Channel 4 of local television.

“But we can confirm that more than 16 brothers are dead and more than 26 are injured, some very seriously,” Murillo said.

Expressing solidarity on behalf of the Nicaraguan government, the Vice President explained that “according to the information, we all know that in circumstances like these there are different versions. After losing direction, the bus overturned on the Mancera Bridge in Rancho Grande. Some say he was driving at high speed. We cannot confirm or deny that.”

Among the deceased minors, he noted, are “a girl of four years, (…) a boy of eleven years (…), a boy of eight years and a boy of eleven years. -old boy, in addition to two others whose identities are not detailed.

Minors are also among the injured.

Some local media indicate that 13 deaths have already been identified.

“Among the injured there are men, women and children of all ages, and some are still unidentified and have been taken to different health centers, some of which are very serious. For example, there is an 11-year-old boy who will have to be amputated, and an unknown 10-year-old boy who had to be transferred to Matagalpa with serious facial trauma. There are several with incomplete basic data,” he added.

“Here we are dealing with a tragedy that perhaps could have been avoided. We don’t know,” said Murillo, wife of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega.

Murillo announced that “we will have to look more carefully at the time of use of these units that come from other places and that are not always in good condition and that unfortunately, on the one hand, we also let them in and on the other hand they are not It complies with the revision that must be frequent as established by law and exhaustive periods,” he added. (JO)