Peru bus crash death toll climbs to 48; rescue operations underway

The death toll of Tuesday's bus crash near the Peruvian capital Lima has risen to 48.

Police authorities, who were quoted by Xinhua, said that around 36 bodies were retrieved from the crash site, while another 12 more were trapped inside the bus.

Six survivors of the crash, who were found during the rescue operations, were suffering from serious injuries. The injured have been evacuated to hospitals in Lima and other nearby places.

Earlier, at least 25 people were reportedly killed and several others injured after a bus collided with a truck and plummeted off a steep cliff near Pasamayo, about 70 kilometres north of Lima.

The death toll was expected to rise as many injured were reported to be in critical condition. Police and firefighters are still continuing their rescue operations.

The bus was reportedly heading to Lima from Huacho with 57 passengers on board when the incident happened on the Pan-American Highway.