LIMA, May 14 (Xinhua) -- At least 13 people were killed and 14 others were injured when a passenger bus plunged into a ravine about 50 meters deep in southern Peru on Tuesday, local authorities said.

The bus crashed around 6:30 a.m. local time on the Libertadores highway as it was traveling from Lima to the city of Ayacucho, said the Regional Health Directorate's Center for Prevention and Control of Emergencies and Disasters in the southern department of Ayacucho.

"According to initial reports, so far 14 people have been injured and 13 have died," the center said in a statement.

The injured were taken to several area hospitals, it added.

Bus operator CIVA confirmed in a statement that one of its buses "was involved in an unexpected accident," and asked families of the victims for "understanding and patience" while the company strived to offer all the needed assistance.

Some 32 passengers and two drivers were aboard the vehicle when the accident occurred, news outlet Radio Programas del Peru reported, quoting the company's lawyer. Enditem

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