At least 19 people died and 47 were injured in a road accident in western Guatemala, dpa quoted the authorities as saying Monday. A truck carrying peasants - who often use such vehicles for cheap transport - fell down a steep ravine late Sunday in the Quetzaltenango province, some 200 kilometres west of Guatemala City. The accident was reportedly caused by malfunctioning brakes. The peasants worked in coffee plantations and were being taken from the northern Guatemalan province of Alta Verapaz to an estate in Quetzaltenango.
