SANTO DOMINGO LOS OCOTES, Guatemala — In the early hours before sunrise, Julio Arrivillaga and Catalina Pérez Molina joined other locals aboard a bus destined for the capital of Guatemala.
For Arrivillaga, this trip was a routine journey to his job where he counted fruits at the nation’s largest market. Pérez Molina occasionally made the same trip to procure produce for the tamales and roasted corn she sold.
Unfortunately, their bus veered off course, resulting in a tragic plunge into a deep ravine that claimed the lives of Arrivillaga, Pérez Molina, and over 50 other passengers.
On Tuesday, the affected families from Santo Domingo Los Ocotes came together to mourn, joined by President Bernardo Arévalo. This day marked the start of a national period of mourning lasting three days.
Guatemala’s National Forensic Science Institute announced on Tuesday that the death toll stood at 54. This followed an earlier report from the Public Ministry, which had confirmed 53 deaths at the accident site and two additional fatalities at a nearby hospital. Discrepancies in the reported numbers were still being clarified.
“I still can’t comprehend what occurred,” shared Irma Catalán, Arrivillaga’s wife, on Tuesday. “I have not come to terms with it. I am uncertain about how my life will change now.”
Videos circulating on social media captured frantic moments leading up to the crash, showing the bus apparently speeding, disregarding stoplights, and colliding with other vehicles before leaving the roadway and crashing into the ravine. The bus ultimately ended up overturned beneath a bridge, semi-submerged in murky waters tainted by sewage.
Within Santo Domingo Los Ocotes, funerals for the victims were scheduled to take place over the span of two days.
Pérez Molina was among those who were laid to rest on Tuesday. Her son, Christian Pérez, expressed his disbelief at his mother’s sudden passing. Restricted to a wheelchair following a motorcycle accident seven years ago, she had been the family’s primary supporter.
“I can’t deny the pain that comes with her loss,” Pérez acknowledged.
Families mourn and honor those lost in Guatemala bus accident
