Vehicles collide in Bolivia, killing and wounding dozens

A head-on collision between a truck and a passenger bus on a highway in the Bolivian Andes has left 16 people dead and 14 injured, police said.

"So far there have been 16 deaths and 14 injured people who have already been taken to the hospital," traffic officer Nilo Torrico said on Saturday, adding that the drivers of both vehicles were dead.

The accident happened on a road between the Bolivian town of Patacamaya and the town of Tambo Quemado in northern Chile, Torrico told the Unitel channel.

The bus had been heading toward Chile on the busy commercial and tourism route linking the two South American countries.

The initial investigation showed that the truck had crossed into the opposite lane while trying to overtake a vehicle, Torrico said.

"This truck made a prohibited manoeuvre and as a result, we have this unfortunate accident," he said.

About 1,400 traffic deaths each year

Images of the accident shared by Unitel showed the bus with its front section shattered, and the truck which had been smashed. Some bodies were seen on the road.

First responders were working to remove bodies trapped in the destroyed vehicles, Torrico said.

Bolivia sees about 1,400 traffic deaths each year, government statistics show.

Accidents are mainly due to poor driving and mechanical failures.

A collision on a busy road in southwestern Bolivia on April 4 killed 14 people and left two injured.