More than 40 people have been killed in Ecuador when a bus came off the road and plunged into a 150-metre ravine.
With at least 25 people injured in the crash, officials say the death toll could rise further. The national emergency service confirmed that seven children were among the dead, the ABC reports.
Investigators say that the crash was probably caused by a mechanical failure, though the Red Cross pointed out that rain and fog could have contributed to the accident.
The bus was travelling from the capital Quito to the western Manabi province carrying as many as 20 people above its capacity of 40.
A police chief from a nearby town says the bus was overfull and appeared to have experienced a gearbox problem before the driver lost control.
One survivor told the television station Ecuavisa that just before the accident a woman at the front of the bus started screaming that the driver "can't shift gears".
He said the driver appeared to try to keep control of the vehicle, but failed and it rolled over for about 200 metres before hitting a tree, then dropping into the ravine.
Ecuador has a poor road safety record: this year's road toll alone is more than 3000 - nearly triple New Zealand's on a per capita basis.
