They confirm 14 dead and 14 missing after a collision in the water “Diario La Capital de Mar del Plata

(EFE) .- Peruvian Defense Minister Walter Ayala has confirmed the death of 14 people and the disappearance of 14 other passengers from a motorboat on the Huallaga River, in the Amazon region of Loreto, as a result of an accident with another boat on Sunday.

Ayala informed Canal N that following Sunday’s collision, 12 bodies were found in the river, out of around 80 passengers who were traveling in the boat, but that “today (Monday) two more were found “.

The rescue operations are entrusted to the Peruvian navy, which has tasked divers to locate the missing in the river, near the port of Zamora, near the district of Yurimaguas.

“There are 14 other missing, who are wanted by Navy scuba divers,” Ayala said of the missing reported by their relatives. About six injured passengers were taken to the Alto Amazonas health center for treatment, while those rescued by the navy and private ships were around 60 people.

The minister added that the drivers of the damaged vessels were arrested in order to establish responsibility for this accident and to determine whether there were any infractions or deficiencies in the transport of passengers by river.

The accident happened on Sunday when the motorboat with 80 passengers collided with an oil cargo ship, which was sailing in convoy to the city of Iquitos, the region’s capital. The injured passengers were part of the New Jerusalem religious congregation, local media reported.