At least 38 people have been killed in Ecuador after a bus careened off a cliff in La Delicia zone, 95 kilometers south of the capital Quito.

12 others were badly injured, including 6 children. The bus belonged to the transport company Turismo Oriental. It was on a straight, well-paved strip of highway, travelling from Cuenca to Quito, when the accident occurred.

Some police reports have claimed the bus driver, who died in the accident, lost control of the vehicle after falling asleep at the wheel.

An investigation is currently underway to find out the exact cause of the accident. Rescue workers are struggling to extract bodies and look for survivors on the steep cliffs around Lake Yambo.