19 dead in two Peruvian road accidents

At least 19 people died in two minibus accidents in Peru over the weekend, authorities said Monday in the Andean country plagued by road fatalities.

Ten people died and 16 were injured when their bus crashed into a trailer in the central region of Pasco early Monday, while nine died and six were injured in Ancash, further west, when their bus plummeted from a cliff on Sunday night.

Accidents are frequent on Peru's often winding, mountainous roads due to speeding, poor road upkeep, a lack of traffic signs and lax enforcement of driving rules.

Last year, the country registered more than 3,130 deaths from traffic accidents.

Seventy percent of accidents are due to human factors such as driver incompetence or fatigue, according to official data.

Last week, 16 people were killed when a bus rolled off a ledge in a mountainous region, and last month, at least 25 died when a bus plunged into a ravine.