GUATEMALA CITY, Dec 27 (Reuters) – At least 15 people were killed and 19 injured after a passenger bus plunged into a ravine on the Inter-American Highway in western Guatemala, authorities said on Saturday.

“Fifteen people have died in this traffic accident — 11 men, three women and a minor,” Leandro Amado, a spokesperson for local firefighters, told reporters, adding that around 19 injured people were taken to hospitals near the scene.

The crash occurred in the Solola Department between kilometres 172 and 174, an area known for dense fog that reduces visibility for drivers.

Images shared by the fire department on social media early on Saturday showed the wrecked bus in the ravine as firefighters worked to rescue victims.

(Reporting by Sofia Menchu. Editing by Joe Bavier and Mark Potter)