A public transport bus crash on the Biscucuy-Guanare national highway in the state of Portuguesa resulted in at least two deaths and dozens of injuries on Wednesday, November 4. The Blue Bird model bus, operated by the Línea Independiente, was traveling from Biscucuy toward the municipality of Guanare when it veered off the road and ended up in a roadside ditch.
Mechanical Failure on the Biscucuy-Guanare Route
The incident occurred in the sector known as Los Toreños Parte Alta, located in the Guarenas parish. According to reports from the Sistema de Gestión de Riesgos, the victims were identified as 58-year-old Efraín de Jesús Pérez and 40-year-old José Rafael Hernández, who worked as the vehicle’s colector. Both men were residents of the Desembocadero caserío in Guanare. Some reports also placed the accident near the Las Mesas de Cavaca sector.
Preliminary accounts from passengers suggest the driver had performed a transfer earlier in the journey after another vehicle, described as an Encava, broke down. The driver later reported a mechanical failure involving the steering bar, which caused him to lose control of the bus. While most sources confirm two fatalities, El Periodiquito reported a total of three deaths, highlighting discrepancies in early casualty counts. Early reports also suggested that the driver and a female passenger were among those who died at the scene.
Emergency Response at the Crash Site
The high number of injured passengers—reported as 49 by La iguana TV and approximately 43 by other outlets—necessitated an emergency transport operation to the Hospital Dr. Miguel Oráa in Guanare.
Medical personnel at the hospital have placed the majority of the survivors under observation. Many of these individuals are being treated for politraumatismos sustained during the vehicle’s departure from the roadway and its subsequent impact in the high-vegetation area.
Agencies coordinate response to bus accident site
The operation involved a coordinated effort between various security and disaster management agencies to clear the site and provide pre-hospital care. For ongoing updates on this developing story, residents are directed to follow official channels, including the WhatsApp and Telegram accounts of Diario Primicia and LaIguana.tv, which provide regular information on the situation in Venezuela.
Incident Details: The bus involved in the accident was a multicolor Blue Bird unit registered under license plate 6031A8P, carrying an estimated 50 passengers.
Driver attributes highway crash to broken steering bar
What caused the bus to leave the road?
The driver stated that the bus suffered a mechanical failure when the steering bar broke. This led to a total loss of control, causing the vehicle to leave the highway and crash into a ditch.
Where were the victims taken for medical treatment?
All injured passengers were transported to the Hospital Dr. Miguel Oráa located in the municipality of Guanare. Many of those admitted remain under medical observation for treatment of multiple injuries.
Are the casualties confirmed?
While the Sistema de Gestión de Riesgos identified two specific fatalities, reporting on the total number of injuries and deaths remains inconsistent across different local outlets. The final casualty count from the bus accident was two deaths and 49 injured, clarifying earlier conflicting reports.
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