At Least 37 Killed in Bolivia After Two Buses Collide

LA PAZ, 2 March 2025 (BSS/AFP) – A tragic collision between two passenger buses on a highway in southern Bolivia on Saturday has claimed at least 37 lives, including eight minors, in what has become the country’s deadliest bus accident of the year, police confirmed.

“So far, we have 37 confirmed deaths,” stated Colonel Wilson Flores, referring to the crash near the city of Uyuni in the department of Potosí.

Authorities reported that 41 people sustained injuries and were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment. Among those killed were six foreign nationals—five from Peru and a three-year-old German girl.

The fatal accident occurred in the early hours of Saturday on a narrow, two-lane road. One of the buses was travelling towards the city of Oruro, which was hosting its renowned Oruro Carnival, one of Latin America’s largest festivals that annually draws tens of thousands of visitors.

Driver Found Under Influence of Alcohol

Preliminary investigations suggest reckless driving played a major role in the catastrophe. Potosí prosecutor Gonzalo Aparicio told state-run news agency ABI that one of the drivers had been speeding while under the influence of alcohol, causing him to veer into the opposite lane and collide head-on with the other vehicle.

“So far, it is known that one of the bus drivers was under the influence of alcohol,” Aparicio confirmed.

An earlier official statement noted that the driver, who survived but remains in critical condition, exhibited “alcohol breath” at the scene, prompting authorities to conduct a blood test.

Deadly Mountain Roads in Bolivia

Bolivia’s treacherous mountain roads are infamous for their dangers, with fatal accidents occurring frequently. Government statistics indicate that road accidents claim an average of 1,400 lives annually in the country of approximately 12 million inhabitants.

The department of Potosí alone accounts for 10.6 percent of all fatal traffic accidents in Bolivia, according to the Bolivian Observatory of Citizen Security. Before this latest tragedy, 64 people had already died in road accidents in the region this year.

Saturday’s collision comes less than two weeks after another devastating accident in southern Bolivia, where at least 30 people lost their lives when a passenger bus plunged 800 metres into a ravine. Authorities attributed that crash to excessive speed, with the driver reportedly losing control on a hazardous mountain route.

In January, a similar accident near Potosí claimed 19 lives when a bus veered off the road. The driver in that incident was arrested on charges of reckless driving leading to fatalities.

Despite ongoing government efforts to improve road safety, Bolivia continues to struggle with high accident rates due to poorly maintained roads, inadequate enforcement of traffic regulations, and dangerous driving practices.