At least 12 people have died after a bus carrying cruise passengers from South Florida to Mayan ruins, eastern Mexico flipped over highway early Tuesday, December 19.
The nationalities of the dead have not yet been confirmed. Among the injured were 7 Americans and 2 citizens of Sweden, according to the AP.
The cause of the accident, which occurred on Mahahual-Cafetal Highway, Quintana Roo, is being investigated. Mexican authorities said the bus was heading to the ruins at Chacchoben, situated 110 mi south of Tulum.
According to government officials in Quintana Roo the bus carried 31 passengers. At least 18 people were injured. The injured were taken to hospitals in Chetumal, Tulum and Bacalar. Among the passengers killed was a girl under 18, officials said.
The majority of the passengers came from a couple of ships belonging to Miami-based Royal Caribbean: Celebrity Equinox and Serenade of the Seas, which are both on 7-night Caribbean cruises. About 23 passengers on the bus came from Celebrity Equinox, which left on Saturday from Miami, while 4 came from Serenade of the Seas, which departed on Friday from Port Everglades.
In addition to the passengers, the bus was carrying a guide and driver.
The Chacchoben ruins are a well known tourist attraction, where people can explore ancient Mayan settlements, with the earliest dating to 1000 B.C.