Official reports at least 30 dead in Guatemala bus crash

GUATEMALA CITY – A rescue worker says at least 30 people died when a bus plunged into a deep canyon in northwest Guatemala Monday morning.

Volunteer firefighter Juan Pablo Ucla tells The Associated Press that the bus fell into a river at the bottom of the 600-foot (200-meter) canyon around 8:15 a.m. He says rescuers have pulled at least 40 injured people from the bus, and expect the death toll to grow.

The area around the municipality of San Martín Jilotepeque has mostly dirt roads that wind through steep mountains without guardrails or other safety measures.