A passenger bus fell into a deep ravine early Wednesday after crashing with another vehicle in southern Peru, killing at least 37 people and injuring 13 more, authorities said.

The health manager of the Arequipa region, Walther Oporto, told local radio RPP that the bus hit a pickup truck and went off a road on a curve, falling more than 650 feet to the banks of the Ocoña river.

The bus had departed from the city of Chala, a mining area also in southern Peru, and was heading to the city of Arequipa.

Local leaders offered their condolences to the families of crash victims, saying in a statement they are praying for those who died and for the speedy recovery of those who were injured.

Fatal bus accidents are not uncommon in Peru. Following a deadly spate of them over a number of years

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