Honduras President Castro Regrets Deaths in Road Accident

At dawn on Wednesday, a collision of two buses left 17 dead and 12 injured near the community of San Juan de Opoa, on the road leading from Santa Rosa de Copan to the municipality of Gracias.

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Fourteen injured individuals were transported to the Occidente Hospital in Santa Rosa de Copan, where two of them later died.

"One of the buses was traveling without passengers toward the center of Honduras after dropping off migrants at the Guatemala border. The other one was full of people and was heading towards Santa Rosa de Copan," the AFP agency reported.

"The accident area has pine-covered mountains, and the road, with one lane in each direction, has many curves, as well as inclines and declines. Traffic accidents are the second leading cause of death in Honduras, after homicides," it added.

The text reads, "Tragedy! This morning a terrible road accident occurred between two buses in San Juan de Opoa, Copa. It left 17 people dead and several injured."

Shortly after this tragedy occurred, Honduran President Xiomara Castro issued a message expressing solidarity with the victims of the accident and their families.

"With deep sorrow and pain, I receive the tragic news of the accident in San Juan de Opoa, in the department of Copan. My condolences to the families of the victims and solidarity for the swift recovery of the injured. I have instructed the relevant teams and agencies to provide all support at this difficult time," she said.

Thousands of South American migrants cross Honduran territory daily on a long route to the United States in search of better living conditions. "Last October, four migrants died when a bus plunged into a ravine," AFP recalled.