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Dozens killed in Peru bus crash Dozens killed in Peru bus crash
(about 5 hours later)
A bus has plunged into a ravine in a remote area of south-eastern Peru, killing at least 50 people and injuring two others, local police say. A bus has plunged into a ravine in a remote area of south-eastern Peru, killing at least 50 people.
The vehicle is believed to have fallen 400m (1,300ft) from a mountain pass near the town of Macusani. Police said the vehicle was speeding when it went off a 400m (1,300ft) cliff near the town of Macusani, in the region of Puno.
The cause of the accident is unclear. Reports say only two people survived - the driver and a six-year-old boy. Local reports said only the bus driver and a five-year-old boy survived.
The government launched a campaign to stem the wave of fatal accidents on the roads after 40 people died in October. The government launched a zero tolerance campaign to stem the number of fatal accidents on the country's roads after 40 people died in October.
The campaign, called Zero Tolerance, involves safety measures such as roadside controls inspecting public buses for roadworthiness. The bus was a makeshift vehicle grafted onto the chassis of a flat-bed truck, local police said.
Rescue efforts at this most recent crash have been hampered by roadblocks set up by protesters striking against the government's management of the local water supply, local media report. 'Taking a chance'
The crash happened on the day the government began testing the eyesight and reflexes of bus drivers as part of the new safety programme.
The initiative also involves roadside controls inspecting public buses for roadworthiness.
The government plans to bring down the price of seatbelts and offer fuel discounts to bus companies which comply with the new regulations.
The BBC's Dan Collyns in Peru says it is a tough battle to control the large number of illegal bus companies when more than half of Peruvians live below the poverty line.
Because many people would rather pay less and take a chance, it is easy for cavalier bus operators to fill their seats with little or no regard for safety, our correspondent says.