At least eight people were killed and four others injured when a van carrying them skidded off the road and overturned on a highway in the Peruvian province of Ayacucho, local media reported.

The accident, which occurred on?the Ayacucho-Jollota route 550 km southeast of Lima, was apparently caused by speeding and poor road maintenance, the reports said.

On Sunday, 10 people died and 20 others were injured when a bus travelling from Puno to Cusco in southern Peru rolled over, local radio reported.

Most road accidents in Peru are blamed on bad road conditions, poorly maintained buses and reckless driving.