Mexico bus plunges off cliff, at least 18 die

In this handout picture released by the Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection of Nayarit, rescuers work at the site of a bus accident in Compostela, Nayarit state, Mexico, on April 30, 2023. (HANDOUT / SECRETARY OF SECURITY AND CITIZEN PROTECTION OF NAYARIT / AFP)

MEXICO CITY – At least 18 people were killed and 33 injured when a bus fell off a cliff in western Mexico, local authorities said Sunday.

The prosecutor's office in Nayarit, the state where the accident occurred, said the vehicle fell some 15 meters down a ravine on Saturday night, on a highway that connects state capital Tepic and the tourist destination of Puerto Vallarta.

"From the first moment, we have worked in a coordinated manner with the various federal and state authorities to provide immediate attention to victims," the prosecutor's office said in a statement shared on Twitter.

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Authorities reported that 11 women and seven men were killed. At least 11 minors have been transferred to hospitals for medical attention.