Lima - In the north of Peru a tour bus plunged 150 metres down into a ravine and killed at least 18 people and injured 60 others in an accident on Sunday in Olmos district, according to police.

The driver of the double-decker bus apparently fell asleep according to survivors of the accident near the city of Jaen in Cajamarca, 780 kilometers north of the capital Lima.

The bus, which was on its way to Ecuador border, was completely destroyed.

Last year 3,500 people died in traffic accidents in Peru. (dpa)