Bus crash kills 18, injures 37 in Panama

PANAMA CITY – A bus carrying farm workers went off a highway and ended up in a stream Sunday southwest of Panama’s capital, causing 18 deaths and injuring 37 others, authorities said.

The crash happened on the Pan-American Highway in Anton, about 105 miles (170 kilometres) from Panama City. Officials gave no information on what caused the accident.

All the dead and injured were aboard the bus, which was carrying more than 50 workers, authorities said. Sixteen died at the scene and two died later at the hospital. Another person remained in critical condition Sunday night, Civil Defence Director Jose Donderis said.

Photos published by local media showed the white bus in a creek at the bottom of a ravine below a bridge.

Government spokesman Manuel Dominguez reported via Twitter that the dead were all adult males.