At least 54 people have been confirmed dead after a bus crashed off a bridge into a ravine in Guatemala City on Monday, according to the National Institute of Forensic Sciences.

The tragic incident occurred when the bus, traveling across Belize Bridge in zone six of the capital, veered off the road and plunged into the deep ravine below. Emergency teams rushed to the scene, and images shared on social media showed the bus overturned and partially submerged in water. Debris was scattered around the wreckage, both on the ground and in the water.

Photos posted by the Guatemalan army show several lifeless bodies lying along the ravine’s bank.

The emergency rescue operation began in the early hours of Monday, with first responders working in the dark, relying on headlamps and flashlights to locate survivors and recover bodies. Videos from the country's volunteer firefighter service, shared on the social media platform X, depict the challenging conditions faced by the rescuers during the operation.

Later, police officers, volunteer firefighters, municipal firefighters, members of the army, and members of the Guatemalan Red Cross joined efforts to recover bodies from the scene. Guatemala City's Mayor, Ricardo Quiñónez Lemus, posted on Facebook that he had deployed “all emergency agencies to expedite rescue operations.”

Guatemala’s President, Bernardo Arévalo, described the tragedy as a “national pain” and expressed his sympathy on X, writing that he stands "in solidarity with the families of the victims who today woke up to heartbreaking news.” He added, "Their pain is my pain" and declared a period of national mourning.

The Guatemalan Red Cross also shared on X that it is providing psychological support to the families of the victims in the aftermath of the devastating accident.