Peru authorities on Wednesday said that the death toll due to an early morning crash in the northeast of the country rose to 15.

The vehicle, which had been carrying 30 passengers from the town of Chiclayo to the Amazonas department city of Bagua, had fallen 200 meters into a ravine in Lambayeque department.

The driver lost control of the vehicle in Cuello Porcuya, around 55 kilometers east of Chiclayo, a mountainous region where the road is characterized by a series of tight curves. The accident took place at night, during a thick fog.

Ten people died on the spot, the remaining five died in medical centers. At least another 10 are being treated for serious injuries after the crash.

Police and fire crews are searching the trees and bushes in the ravine for more crash victims.

(Xinhua News Agency May 14, 2009)