A bus carrying 42 tourists plunged down a 160-foot gorge in Tangua, Colombia early Friday morning, January 3, 2025, killing 13 passengers and injuring 28 others, according to Colombian officials.
Colombia’s Minister of Transport, María Constanza García Alicastro, confirmed the accident occurred on the road connecting Pasto with Ipiales, in the municipality of Tangua. “So far, the authorities have reported 13 people dead, 28 injured and 1 unharmed,” García Alicastro wrote on X.
The bus was navigating a section of the Pan-American Highway characterized by what local media described as “complicated curves” when the accident occurred. The vehicle was en route to Santuario de las Lajas, a popular pilgrimage site located approximately four miles from the Ecuadorian border.
Disturbing images show the bus lying crumpled at the bottom of the mountain gorge.
The names of the deceased were released by the fire department: Valeria Isabella Bedoya, Maryury Velázquez Rincón, José Uriel Becerra Pinilla, Wilson Steven Acero Malaver, Jacqueline Sánchez Chávez, Giselle Osorio Sánchez, Miller Alberto Tello, Ana María Portilla, Jhonatan Tamayo, Daniel Alexander Bohorques, Miguel Augusto López Cardona, Jhoanna Arredondo, and Jeimy Andrea López.
Initial investigations by Colombian authorities point to mechanical failure as the likely cause of the crash, though the exact circumstances remain under investigation.
Emergency responders rushed victims to multiple medical facilities in the region, distributing the injured among hospitals in Tangua, Ipiales, and the city of Pasto. The Colombian Traffic Police are currently working to identify all passengers involved in the accident.
According to one report, the driver may have chosen an alternative route to avoid toll payments.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro has been briefed on the situation and confirmed that police are leading the emergency response efforts. The investigation into passenger identities and ages continues, with authorities working to notify family members.
In October 2024, a separate incident in Bogotá involved a minibus whose brakes failed, narrowly missing two teenage pedestrians. The girls escaped injury, but the close call highlighted the recurring issue of mechanical failures in public transportation.
While recent incidents have drawn attention to rural areas, urban centers are not exempt. Cali, a bustling city, recorded over 100 bus crashes in just two months of 2018. These crashes involved buses colliding with cars, motorcycles, and pedestrians, resulting in multiple fatalities and injuries.
As authorities work to address the causes of these accidents, from mechanical inspections to road conditions, travelers are left grappling with the uncertainties of public transportation in Colombia’s varied landscapes.
