Ten dead after passenger van plunges off a cliff in Bolivia

Ten people were killed and four others injured on Monday when a passenger van veered off the road and plunged off a cliff in western Bolivia.

The incident occurred on a mountain road near Irupana, a town located about 70 kilometers east of the capital, La Paz. According to local media, most of the van’s passengers were miners. Footage broadcast in Bolivia showed the wrecked vehicle near a river.

The death toll was announced to local television channel Unitel by Ricardo Terrazas, chief of the La Paz Police. He confirmed that 10 people had died, while the four injured passengers had been taken to hospital for medical treatment.

Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the circumstances and causes of the accident.

Road accidents remain a persistent concern in Bolivia. Interior Ministry data show that around 1,400 people die on the country’s roads each year; the most common causes include careless driving and mechanical failures.