Firefighters say the passenger bus was struck from behind by a truck near the town of Gualan

This article is more than 9 months old

This article is more than 9 months old

At least 21 people, including nine minors, have been killed and a dozen wounded in a crash between a trailer truck and a passenger bus in eastern Guatemala.

The national disaster agency said the collision occurred early onSaturday. Volunteer firefighters told reporters the truck appeared to have collided with the bus from behind.

The Guatemalan president-elect, Alejandro Giammattei, expressed his “profound lament” for the deaths in a post on Twitter.

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The accident took place near the town of Gualan, near Guatemala’s Atlantic coast. The national disaster agency said the bus had been headed from the north-eastern Peten region to the capital. It said the injured were taken to several hospitals in the region.

Photos of the scene showed the truck toppled onto its side along a curve on the two-lane highway, with the bus a little further ahead, its rear section destroyed.

Initial reports indicate that the trailer truck was speeding when it collided with the bus on a curve. The drivers of both vehicles have been detained for questioning.