Dozens killed in Mexico bus crash

The bus fell down a hillside at a notorious black spot

A bus crash in eastern Mexico has killed 57 people, say rescue officials.

The tour bus plunged into a ravine on a highway between Mexico City and the Gulf coast city of Veracruz.

The dead, which included 10 children, were all Mexican, said civil protection official Ranulfo Marquez, revising downwards an earlier toll of 63.

Police blamed either brake failure or driver error for the crash on the bus which was overcrowded, with a number of passengers forced to stand.

There were 71 people on board, although the bus was only equipped to hold 46 passengers, Federal Preventive Police Commander Reinaldo Ascencio Cavazos told the Associated Press news agency.

The vehicle had been travelling from the western city of Guadalajara to the state of Tabasco after an Easter weekend excursion.

It had already been on the road for 10 hours when the crash happened.

The bus was overcrowded at the time of the accident

"It broke the barrier and went down a ravine," Mr Marquez told the Reuters news agency.

Police said they did not know yet what caused the bus to plunge down the 200-metre (650ft) cliff.

The driver may have lost control because he was driving too fast, they added.

The crash occurred along a treacherous section of the road, considered one of the most dangerous in Mexico.