AT LEAST 18 people have died after a double-decker bus plunged 164ft into a ravine.

A desperate rescue mission has been launched in Peru after the horror crash which left another 48 injured.

The packed bus was traveling from Lima to Peru’s Amazon region when it overturned on a highway in Hunin near to the Andes Mountains.

The driver is believed to have veered off the winding road before the bus plummeted down the ravine, authorities said on Friday.

Officials said 15 of the 60 passengers onboard were found dead at the scene.

Three more victims then died after being rushed to hospital.

Two children are among the dead, a spokesperson for health services of the central city of Tarma said.

The double-decker belonged to the company Expreso Molina Lder Internacional.

Authorities are still investigating the exact cause of the accident.

Wreckage pictures show how the bus split in two after landing on its side with shattered glass and snapped window frames spread across the crash site.

Peru has a dark history of deadly bus crashes.

Back in January, another bus fell into a river – leaving six people dead and 32 injured.

In September of last year, dozens of tourists were injured after a bus carrying them back from Machu Picchu plunged down a steep bank.

The bus fell 50 feet after the driver lost control of the motor while he negotiated the narrow mountain road in the foggy Andes.

In 2022, four tourists were killed and another 15 were injured after a minibus plunged 330 feet down a cliff returning from Machu Picchu.

Locals said foggy conditions also contributed to that crash.

Accidents are common in Peru due to speeding, poor road surfaces, and a lack of road signs.

Over 3,170 people died in road accidents in the country in 2024, according to Peruvian police data.