Wednesday, February 12

At least 54 people were killed after a bus plummeted off a bridge in Guatemala yesterday, falling over 115 feet into a deep ravine.

The bus began its journey in Progreso, an area northeast of Guatemala City, in the town of San Agustin Acasaguastlan, where dozens of passengers boarded the bus.

Then, after an hour drive down from Progreso, it was driving over the Puente Belice (Belize Bridge) in Zone 6 of the capital city when it plunged off the bridge during the early hours of Monday morning. Authorities stated that a multi-vehicle crash had occurred on the bridge, knocking the bus over the edge.

The bus was found upside down in a stream thick with garbage after falling 115 feet, and it was covered in water and trash. However, after police began to investigate the situation, they quickly realized that survivors were inside the bus, and a rescue operation began.

Dozens of bodies have been recovered from the wreckage, but several survivors are still trapped inside the bus. In addition, the final death toll has not been confirmed yet, as more bodies could still be inside the bus. Members from the Guatemalan army have been sent to the area to help with the crash, and Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo has declared three days of national mourning for the public.

An investigation into the crash has also begun, as several videos of the roadway show the bus speeding and running red lights before smashing into multiple vehicles and then tumbling off the bridge. Authorities have attributed it to a possible mechanical failure, causing the driver to lose control of the bus, but they will not know the true cause until the investigation is complete.

It is unknown whether the railings on the bridge should have been stronger or exactly whose fault the crash was, but the local police are currently focusing most of their energy on rescuing any survivors from inside the bus, which is still half-covered in filthy water and upside down at the bottom of the ravine.

Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): The strings on string instruments were originally made from the guts of animals like sheep or cows. While those strings have been replaced with metal wiring in today's instruments, some more expensive, higher-end string instruments still use the traditional animal guts.

Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): There is no path to happiness; happiness is the path. (Buddha)

Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Ruminate (verb, ROO-muh-nayt) - To ruminate is to think carefully and deeply about something.

In a Sentence: We ruminated over the implications of our decision.