Two buses collided head-on Saturday along the southern Panamerican Highway in Tacna, a town in southern Peru near the border with Chile, killing at least five people and injuring 16 others, authorities reported.
Eddy Vicente, director of the Hipólito Unanue de Tacna hospital, stated that most of the injured are in stable condition. However, a 24-year-old man sustained multiple fractures and is in serious condition.
The cause of the crash remains unclear. Farmer Agustín Choquecota, who was transporting livestock in his pickup truck at the time, told Radio Unio that one of the buses veered out of its lane, causing the collision.
Road transportation oversight in Peru is considered weak, with emergency assistance often slow and disorganized, according to experts who advocate for legal reforms to address these issues. Official data indicates that 3,428 people died in traffic accidents in Peru in 2025.