A fatal road incident in southern Nicaragua’s Rivas province claimed at least four lives, including three women, according to police sources reported on Tuesday. The rollover occurred Monday night on the 86th kilometer of the South Pan-American Highway, when the driver reportedly lost control and left the roadway, colliding with a tree. Eyewitness accounts cited the rupture of one tire as a likely trigger for the crash, while investigators continue to examine the sequence of events. (attribution: National Police)
The deceased were identified as Benigna de Jesús Suárez Reyes, 67; Sonia Argentina Reyes, 56; Fátima Violeta Dávila, 43; and the driver, Donald Rafael Duarte Dávila, 42. Initial reports indicated that both the driver and one passenger died at once, another passenger died shortly after in hospital care, and a fourth victim succumbed in intensive care early Tuesday morning. A fifth person, Carlos Reyes Cerda, 30, who traveled as a passenger, was transported to the Rivas regional hospital for treatment after sustaining injuries in the crash. (attribution: National Police)
Nicaragua has long faced road safety challenges. With a population around 6.7 million, road crashes are among the leading causes of death in the country. Health ministry data show that in 2021, road incidents claimed 639 lives across Nicaragua, highlighting the ongoing demand for improved road safety measures, vehicle maintenance standards, and emergency response readiness. (attribution: Ministry of Health)
14 injured
In a separate incident, a crowded van carrying primarily Ecuadorian immigrants overturned in the Nicaraguan section of Río San Juan, near the border with Costa Rica. Authorities reported that the accident happened early Tuesday on the highway segment between San Carlos and Managua after the driver lost control. The minibus, bearing a Managua registration, carried ten Ecuadorians, two Venezuelans, and two Pakistanis, all of whom were injured. The driver sustained injuries as well and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. (attribution: National Police)
Of the 14 injured, the most seriously hurt was a 36-year-old Pakistani man with a head injury and multiple traumas, who was transferred to the national reference hospital Antonio Lenín Fonseca in Managua for specialized care. The other identified injured include several Ecuadorians: Carlos Alfredo Vera, 31; Dilan Lucín Suárez, 17; Doyler Guaman Ordóñez, 30; Doyler Waman Cordones, 31; Félix Darío Cela Suárez, 35; Henry Omar Guaman, 25; Jimmy Acurio Peña Herrera, 27; Jesús Alberto Lucín López, 29; Leonela Aguaiza Robayla, 23; and Luis Loan López, 41. The two Pakistanis identified were Mohammed Matten, 19, and Wjih Ui Hassan Syed, 36, the latter listed as seriously injured. A Venezuelan passenger, Karleys Nayling Primera Oropesa, 18, was also named among the injured; the identities of one Venezuelan and the truck driver were not released. (attribution: National Police)
Authorities note that the truck driver appeared to have been traveling at a high speed at the time of the mishap, which contributed to the loss of control and vehicle rollover. Emergency responders were dispatched to the scene, and the injured were transported to medical facilities for immediate care. (attribution: National Police)