Bus falls off cliff in south Mexico, killing at least 12

At least 12 people were killed and more than 20 injured when a bus veered off a highway and fell off a cliff in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas, local officials said Sunday.

The accident occurred Sunday afternoon on the Motozintla-Huixtla highway. The bus, carrying dozens of pilgrims from La Trinitaria, plunged some 90 meters off the roadside, said a statement from the local emergency service.

"The emergency has been attended to and unfortunately, at the moment 12 people are dead," tweeted Luis Garcia, secretary of the Civil Protection Department of Chiapas state.

Local authorities have arrived at the scene and the rescue work is underway. They are working to get the passengers trapped in the bus out and the injured have been taken to nearby hospitals.

It is still unclear what caused the accident.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)