Dozens dead in Mexico bus crash

The coach's brakes are believed to have failed

At least 33 people have been killed in a bus crash in the central Mexican state of Michoacan, police say.

Among the dead were at least 10 children including a six-month-old baby, said Felipe Avila, the director of civil defence in Zinapecuaro.

Unfortunately there were a lot of people on that bus, and a lot of young people

Martha Hernandez, Michoacan civil protection agency

At least 20 other passengers have been injured, some seriously.

A police spokesman said the brakes on the bus appear to have failed at a bridge near the town of Zinapecuaro.

But there are conflicting reports as to whether the vehicle crashed into part of the bridge or into a toll booth.

Passengers thrown

The government news agency Notimex said passengers had been thrown from the bus' windows as a result of the crash.

"We got to the scene, there were a lot of bodies lying on the highway, and people were screaming in pain," Mr Avila said.

The injured were taken to hospitals in Morelia, the Michoacan state capital, about 45 kilometres (30 miles) away.

The victims were all members of an evangelical church called Luz del mundo (Light of the world), based in the nearby city of Guadalajara.

They were on their way to a massive annual re-enactment of the Last Supper.

"This is a very sad situation, we are all very upset," said church spokesman Eliezer Gutierrez.

"In the 68 years the church has hosted this celebration, we have never had a tragedy of this magnitude."