At Least 12 Killed, 15 Injured in Three-Vehicle Crash in Santo Domingo, Chile

At least 12 people were killed and 15 others injured on Saturday morning, November 7, in a serious crash in Santo Domingo, in Chile's Valparaíso region, when a minibus, a large truck and a smaller vehicle collided on the Ruta de la Fruta (Fruit Highway, Route E-66). Chile's National Service for Disaster Prevention and Response and the Presidential Delegation for Valparaíso confirmed 12 deaths; all 15 injured people were taken to Claudio Vicuña Hospital in San Antonio. (Archive image: the scene of an overturned bus crash on a Chilean highway.)

Where and how it happened

The collision happened at kilometre 122.5 of Route E-66, in the La Atalaya sector of Santo Domingo municipality, about 100 kilometres southwest of the capital, Santiago. Traffic on the stretch was suspended while emergency crews worked at the scene, and the bodies of the victims were later taken to the San Antonio forensic service, where relatives gathered to await their release. The Carabineros' traffic-accident investigation unit (SIAT) and the Public Prosecutor's Office are investigating the cause and any criminal responsibility.

Death toll may rise

Santo Domingo Mayor Fernando Rodríguez said the priority was getting the injured to hospital and that officials were attending to the emergency, adding that the death toll "will rise". Earlier reports had put the toll at 11 before the official figure was settled at at least 12. As of publication, the authorities had not released the victims' identities, and the precise cause of the crash had not been determined.