Bus carrying farm workers plunges off cliff in northern Mexico, killing 14 people

Bus plunges off cliff in northern Mexico; 14 dead

TIJUANA, Mexico — A bus carrying farm workers and their families home plunged off a cliff in northern Mexico on Saturday, killing 14 people and injuring 21.

The bus was traveling along a treacherously winding stretch of highway before dawn when it veered off at high speed over a cliff halfway between the border cities of Tijuana and Mexicali, according to reports from police and prosecutors.

Baja California state prosecutors said the bus fell about 330 feet (100 meters) and broke in two, scattering luggage, seats and passengers along the slope below the highway.

The cause of the crash was under investigation. One man injured in the crash told investigators the bus appeared to have brake trouble before the wreck and quoted the drivers as saying a mechanic would be available in Mexicali.

Among the 14 dead were two young boys and an infant. Nine men and two women died.

The bus was transporting the workers from El Papalote ranch in the Pacific coast town of San Quintin to another ranch hundreds of miles (kilometers) south, in Villa Juarez outside the Sinaloa state capital of Culiacan.

Among 21 people treated for injuries at nearby hospitals were five children, ages 8 months to 10 years, listed in serious or delicate condition.