At least 37 people died after a passenger bus fell into an abyss in a rural area of the Arequipa region, in southern Peru, regional authorities and health sources reported on Wednesday. The bus had the accident during the early hours of Wednesday at kilometer 780 of the South Pan-American Highway, in the district of Ocoña, after apparently colliding with a pickup truck, according to the RPP broadcaster. In this regard, the regional manager of Health of Arequipa, Walther Oporto, declared to the broadcaster that the authorities initially reported that the fatalities were 17, but as the hours passed, that figure has risen to 37. "Unfortunately, to date, 36 deaths have been confirmed at the scene (of the accident) and one death at the Ocoña health center. It is likely that this will be the final figure, because the firefighters have arrived at the scene," Oporto stated. The official reiterated that regional authorities believe that "unfortunately, that is the final figure" and that "likewise, 14 injured are being treated at the Camaná hospital and four are already being transferred to Arequipa". However, the Regional Health Management of Arequipa published on its social networks a list with the names of 24 injured people who remain at the hospital in the city of Camaná. The health institution also maintained a figure of 16 people who died, which, it said, is based on preliminary information provided by the Traffic Police. According to the information disseminated so far, the vehicle belonged to the company Llamosas and had departed from the district of Chala, in the province of Caravelí, towards the city of Arequipa, the regional capital. The Regional Government of Arequipa added on its social networks that the accident occurred in an area known as the Ocoña Bridge descent and that 14 of the injured were transferred to the hospital in the city of Camaná and another 12 remain at the Ocoña Health Center. It added that ambulances have been mobilized and the reinforcement of the health staff "to guarantee an opportune response before this regrettable event" and that due to their "delicate state of health", three people will be transferred to the Regional Hospital of Arequipa. Accidents of this type are common in Peru's roads, caused mostly by the imprudence of the drivers, the poor condition of the roads and the vehicle fleet, as well as by the wild conditions of the geography. In the country, around 3,000 people die a year in traffic accidents, mostly from runovers, and some 55,000 are injured, according to figures from the National Road Safety Council.