Truck crash in Ecuador Amazon kills 10, leaves 3-year-old as sole survivor

# Truck crash in Ecuador Amazon kills 10, leaves 3-year-old as sole survivor

*Event date: 2024-11-03*

Ten people were killed when a truck carrying passengers in Ecuador’s Amazon region plunged into a ravine, authorities said, leaving a 3-year-old girl as the sole survivor. The crash happened in Morona Santiago province in the southeast of the country, where roads were busy during a five-day holiday linked to the Day of the Dead.

Police in Morona Santiago said the vehicle fell into a ravine and that the child was the only person who survived. Authorities did not immediately say what caused the crash. Ecuador’s Integrated Security Service later said the truck came to rest beside the Paute River after the fall, and released photographs showing the vehicle upside down on the riverbank among rocks.

The AP report does not identify the victims or describe their relationship to one another, but the toll makes the incident one of the deadliest road accidents reported in the country during the holiday period. The region’s road network can be difficult to navigate, especially when traffic rises for major public holidays.

The crash also highlights how quickly rural transport accidents can turn fatal in Ecuador’s Amazonian provinces, where steep terrain and remote roads can complicate rescue and recovery efforts. In this case, law enforcement and the security service moved to account for the victims and secure the scene after the truck came to rest near the river.

The fact that only a 3-year-old girl survived makes the accident especially devastating for local authorities and the families affected. The AP report said police did not immediately disclose the cause, and there was no early indication of whether weather, road conditions or a driver error played a role.

Ecuador has seen traffic safety and road infrastructure become recurring concerns, particularly in regions where travel is concentrated around holiday periods. While the AP report focused on the immediate crash response, the scene described by officials suggests the truck left the roadway in a steep and dangerous area before coming to rest next to the river.

For emergency responders, the priority was likely the recovery of the bodies and support for the survivor, while investigators worked to determine what happened. The picture released by the Integrated Security Service showed a badly damaged vehicle and underscored the force of the impact.

The holiday timing may also have increased the number of vehicles on the road that weekend. AP noted that roads across Ecuador were busy because of the five-day break for the Day of the Dead, a period when families travel and road accidents can rise.

Even without a confirmed cause, the basic facts of the crash are stark: a truck went off the road, 10 people died, and a 3-year-old girl lived. The combination of a remote location, a steep ravine and a crowded vehicle left authorities facing a fatal accident with few immediate answers.