Dozens killed in Peru bus crash

A bus has plunged into a ravine in a remote area of south-eastern Peru, killing at least 50 people.

Police said the vehicle was speeding when it went off a 400m (1,300ft) cliff near the town of Macusani, in the region of Puno.

Local reports said only the bus driver and a five-year-old boy survived.

The government launched a zero tolerance campaign to stem the number of fatal accidents on the country's roads after 40 people died in October.

The bus was a makeshift vehicle grafted onto the chassis of a flat-bed truck, local police said.

'Taking a chance'

The crash happened on the day the government began testing the eyesight and reflexes of bus drivers as part of the new safety programme.

The initiative also involves roadside controls inspecting public buses for roadworthiness.

The government plans to bring down the price of seatbelts and offer fuel discounts to bus companies which comply with the new regulations.

The BBC's Dan Collyns in Peru says it is a tough battle to control the large number of illegal bus companies when more than half of Peruvians live below the poverty line.

Because many people would rather pay less and take a chance, it is easy for cavalier bus operators to fill their seats with little or no regard for safety, our correspondent says.