Chile: 22 dead in bus-truck collision, 6 more in plane crash
( 2001-10-11 10:45 ) (7 )

A head-on collision on Wednesday between a bus and a truck killed 22 people and injured 21 in northern Chile. Six police officers died when their small plane crashed on the way to investigating the road accident.

Police said their Cessna aircraft was carrying officers specialized in investigating traffic accidents to determine the cause of the bus-truck crash.

The chartered bus was taking 40 workers to El Abra copper mine near Calama, 1,550 kilometers (970 miles) north of Santiago, when it collided with a truck carrying sacks of cement.

Police said investigations are now being conducted into both the plane and road accident.

Calama Mayor Esteban Velasquez said visibility was good at the time of the accident, which occurred on a straight stretch of the road. Nineteen victims had been traveling on the bus. The other three were in the truck.