10 miners die after minibus plunges into river in Bolivia

LA PAZ, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- At least 10 miners were killed and four others seriously injured on Monday after a minibus plunged about 25 meters into a riverbed in Bolivia's western department of La Paz, a local official said.

According to Ricardo Terrazas, departmental police commander, the accident occurred in the Tres Rios district of Irupana municipality in the early hours of the morning as the miners were traveling to work at the 15 de Agosto mine in the Yungas region.

The public transport minibus fell into the riverbed and crashed into rocks, according to a preliminary report.

Local residents were the first to arrive at the scene and began rescuing survivors before police reached the crash site.

The four survivors, who sustained serious injuries, were transported to hospitals in the La Paz metropolitan area for treatment, the report said.

Transit authorities are investigating the cause of the accident, including possible factors such as mechanical failure, speeding and hazardous road conditions.