In a tragic incident, as many 12 police officer lost their lives after a bus carrying 32 police officers plunges off mountain cliff near Santiago, about 970 kilometers (600 miles) southeast of Lima.

The incident occured on Tuesday when police officers were being transported to Antabamba to provide security at a meeting between local residents and federal officials. At least five officers still missing following the crash and search is on.

Expressing grief over the incident, President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski said, "Today's a day of mourning because police officers have died unnecessarily in a highway in the Andes".

Television images of the crash showed the bus completely destroyed at the edge of a river. Police and firefighters are working to rescue possible survivors, authorities said.

Deadly accidents are common in Lima’s interior, caused in part by poorly maintained vehicles in bad conditions and the bad state of roads, especially in rough terrain. The World Health Organization reports an average of 15.9 traffic fatalities per 100,000 residents in Peru. 

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