Blashers’ ‘near miss’ in bus crash in Bolivian Andes

Monday 3rd September 2007, 12:00AM BST.

EXPLORER Colonel John Blashford-Snell nearly did not return home from his last expedition when a bus carrying him and team members crashed in the Bolivian Andes.

Fortunately for him and the other passengers, the bus did not go over the precipice, but crashed instead into the wall on the side of the road. The accident happened at night-time, when the passengers were all dozing in their seats. It is presumed that the Bolivian driver fell asleep at the wheel. ‘We were all a little bruised and battered,’ he said on his return, ‘some of us more than others. But fortunately there were no really serious injuries.’ The next day a bus containing Bolivian passengers crashed in almost the same place – only this time the bus went over the precipice and plunged 500 feet, killing everyone on board.

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