A security camera on Placeres Hill in Valparaíso recorded the moment the bus carrying members of the Chilean Chamber Orchestra (OCCH) plunged down a ravine on the night of Saturday, October 10. The accident left one person dead and dozens injured.
According to T13, the vehicle was traveling down Los Placeres Avenue when it broke through the guardrails. It fell about 20 meters and landed overturned in the parking lot of a condominium complex, on top of a parked car.
Meganoticias describes the footage in more detail. The bus turns right on a bend the outlet describes as very sharp, loses stability within seconds and, according to that account, falls about 15 meters onto a vehicle at Condominio Esmeralda.
The musicians were returning from a performance at Federico Santa María Technical University, according to Meganoticias. The university's main campus is in Valparaíso.
The deceased is Penélope Knuth, a United States citizen who had lived in Chile for years and was the orchestra's principal violist. The OCCH is a professional musical ensemble based in Santiago.
The number of injured differs between sources. T13 reported four people in serious condition, including a 62-year-old man with life-threatening injuries, and between 10 and 15 with injuries of varying severity. Meganoticias reported about 40 injured.
All rescue companies of the Valparaíso Fire Department responded to the scene to treat the injured and extract passengers trapped inside the bus.
So far, neither source has indicated what caused the fall or which institution is investigating the accident. There is also no information about the driver.
T13 reported that authorities will provide an update on the victims' condition during the morning of Sunday, October 11.
