PHOTOS // The death toll rises to 18 due to a reversal in Perijá

The tragedy embarked with the 59 passengers of an Encava bus from Expresos Jáuregui, departing from San Cristóbal and destined for the Maracaibo terminal. Around 8 o'clock in the morning, this Sunday, June 16, a grim path ended with the lives of 18 people (14 in the act), according to police reports. This happened at the height of Troncal 6, Puente Palmar, via Villa del Rosario, in the municipality of Rosario de Perijá.

"We were all awake because we had stopped at an alcabala a few minutes before, rubber exploded, the bus lost control and fell into a ravine, we crashed into a tree and fainted. I woke up, I only heard the calls for help.The people who went to the right side are dead.It was horrible what I saw, "said, of the emergency of Sur General Hospital (HGS), Kerduin Olivares, 23 years old. He is one of the lucky survivors.

He said that 48 people were seated and 11 were standing. "In addition to being overweight, the driver was driving very fast, a boy got up to ask him to slow down because there were children and pregnant women. He did not give him time. Maybe if I had been slower, it would not have happened, "he lamented.

Euclides Andarcia said that his son, Euclimag Andarcia (28), was healing, even though he was suffering greatly. "His wife is very battered, as is his sister-in-law, but his father-in-law is dead."

Some of the wounded were taken to the hospital I Virgen del Rosario, but the majority of them were transferred to the HGS hospital. The director of this campus, Alfredo Mogollón, told PANORAMA that 19 wounded patients were admitted:

"They only brought us adults, the five most serious ones have to go to the operating room, they have a fractured leg and arm, a few fingers amputation, a jaw injury, and a woman. 58 years old with a rare closed abdominal trauma and a serious head injury (…) Everyone is evaluated. "

He pointed out that it took about an hour to create spaces for the number of people affected, that some remain in the emergency and that the rest has been transferred to the hospital.

He assured that the health center "is able to serve them". Some missing supplies were provided by the Ministry of Health. "The oncology staff activates the scanner because, as it is a weekend, it does not work.Two patients will receive delicate scans," said Mogollón.

We knew that The bus driver stays alive. The collector, a miner, died on the site.