VentureCo Ecuador Bus Crash Tribute

In a horror smash, five young British women are dead and 15 others injured, after their tour bus collided with a truck in Ecuador.The victims, in their teens and twenties, were participating in a volunteer program.

The impact with the truck tore away one side of their bus as it headed from Quito to the coastal fishing town, Puerto Lopez. According to acting British Ambassador to Ecuador, Chris Poole, 'the lorry side-swiped the bus taking away a good portion of it.'

'At the moment we think the police are going forward with the investigation and we'll be following up with them in due course,' Mr Poole said.

It's believed the truck driver fled the scene.

The tourists were half an hour from their destination when they crashed.

It's believed just before the backpackers began their journey, a dynamic risk assessment was carried out along the route.The report revealed that the part of the road where the crash occurred, was considered as one of the safer sections of the road.

The group were on a four month South American adventure, organised by Venture Co.

The company specialises in gap year travel.