Bus falls down steep mountain in Mexico, leaving at least 17 dead

At least 17 people died after a bus fell down a steep mountain while traveling on a highway in Mexico on Thursday, authorities said. 

The Elite passenger bus was traveling from Mexico City to Tijuana and was passing through the city of Tepic in the coastal state of Nayarit when the accident happened at around 2 a.m., according to local media. 

At least 22 people were injured in the accident, according to a statement by the state public safety agency. The agency added that a preliminary death toll indicated that 17 individuals had lost their lives. Rescuers are still working to remove people from the bus. 

"Work is being done to remove them from the site," Nayarit Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection said in a post on social media

Authorities are investigating the cause of the accident. 

Pictures shared by the Nayarit officials show the bus on the side of the cliff as firefighters and rescue crews rescue its passengers. 

The incident is the latest bus accident that has killed dozens of people while traveling through Mexico’s highways. 

Last month, a bus crashed into the ravine in the southern state of Oaxaca, leaving at least 29 people dead and 19 others injured, including several minors. Authorities believe that the driver lost control of the bus after losing its brakes, causing it to roll over and fall into a steep ravine. 

In April, a tourist bus fell more than 49 feet (15 meters) down a cliff in Jalisco, killing 18 people and injuring 33 others. An investigation revealed that the bus had a mechanical failure, which led to the accident.