A
head-on collision
in broad daylight and with good visibility left
two dead on high mountain Route 7
, which connects the city of Mendoza with Chile.
A
couple of Chilean tourists
died from the strong impact.
They were traveling in a Suzuki Baleno car, which collided head-on
with a tourist van
carrying
five Brazilian passengers
.
The victims were identified as
Carla Javiera Muñóz Illanes (35) and Diego Hernán Araya Peña (31)
.
The accident occurred around 3 p.m. this Monday, on Route 7,
near the Los Penitentes ski center
, and 30 kilometers from reaching the Los Libertadores customs complex.
Due to the strong impact,
the van fell off
the cliff and was overturned on the side of the road while the car was left with its front destroyed and its wheels up on the road.
The police and road personnel who came to help them confirmed that the Chilean tourist who was traveling in the Suzuki Baleno died at the scene.
Her companion, who was driving the car, was
taken with serious injuries and died
before reaching the Uspallata medical center, the closest.
Fatal crash and rollover in Mendoza: two tourists from Chile died.
According to the statement of the driver of the van,
an Argentine driver
, the accident occurred when the Chilean car
wanted to pass another vehicle on a curve
, and they came face to face with the van that was coming in the opposite direction.
The driver and the five passengers of Brazilian origin in the van suffered
minor injuries
and are all out of danger.
The Police reported that the
bus driver's blood
alcohol test was
negative
.
The investigation of the accident was carried out by Police Station 33 of the municipality of Las Heras.
Mendoza. Correspondent
D.S.