At least 17 people were killed and 41 injured when two passenger buses collided on the Panamericana highway, in the southern region of Ica, the country's highway police announced Wednesday.

The accident occurred around midnight, when a bus belonging to the Flores Hermanos company, travelling from Ica to Nasca, collided with another from the Palomino company, at kilometer 429 of the Panamericana.

Police said six of the dead were on the Flores bus and 11 on the Palomino bus, with the bodies having been transferred to a morgue in the city of Nasca, for their identification. Both drivers were among those killed.

The injured, several of which are in critical condition, are being treated in hospitals in Nasca and Ica.

According to preliminary research, the drivers were speeding in very foggy conditions, which led to the accident.

Highway accidents are frequent in Peru, with most being blamed on speeding and unsafe driving, according to the Ministry of the Interior. In 2014, a total of 2,798 died in traffic accidents in the country.

Source : XINHUA