managua | Sixteen people, believed to be migrants trying to reach the United States, died Wednesday evening in Nicaragua in a road accident involving a bus, and 47 others were injured, police said in a statement Thursday.
“Sixteen people died, including five women and eleven men. Thirteen are of Venezuelan nationality, one Nicaraguan and two are not identified.
The accident occurred at a crossroads on the Pan-American highway in the department of Esteli when a coach collided with two cars.
"Due to the collision and excessive speed, the driver of the bus lost control and fell into a ravine," police said.
The driver, who emerged unscathed from the accident, was taken into custody.
The bus traveled between Managua and Jalapa, a municipality near Nicaragua's northern border with Honduras, used by Latin American migrants wishing to reach the United States via Mexico.