Truck plows into crowd in Guatemala, killing 32

A truck crashed into a crowd of people in western Guatemala on Wednesday evening, killing at least 32 people, authorities said.

The truck struck a group of people who had gone onto the road to inspect another person who had been hit by a car, Cecilio Chacaj, a spokesman for the local fire department, said.

The crash killed at least 32 people, and nine people were admitted to hospitals in a critical condition, Public Health Minister Carlos Soto said on local radio.

The accident took place in the municipality of Nahuala, west of Guatemala City, says a Reuters report.

“At this time we are coordinating our response to bring full support to the relatives of the victims,” President Jimmy Morales wrote in a post on Twitter. “My heartfelt condolences.”

The crash marked one of the country’s worst traffic accidents in recent years. In 2013, a bus plunged off a cliff in rural Guatemala, killing at least 43 people and injuring dozens.