Ecuador's president fires transit chiefs in wake of deadly crash

QUITO - Ecuador's President Lenin Moreno fired at least three directors of transit after a deadly bus crash killed and injured dozens, state daily Andes reported on Wednesday.

The report said Moreno ordered the dismissal of the leading officials of transit police, transit commission and chain of command, for the failure of controlling the entry into the country of a bus from Colombia which crashed and left 24 dead and 22 injured.

The accident occurred around 3 am Tuesday along a stretch of roadway outside the capital Quito, which is known as a "deadman's curve".

The bus, carrying 38 passengers, reportedly crashed into a passenger car, turned over, skidded and struck three homes by the side of the road before coming to a stop.

Moreno's interior and transport ministers announced a total of seven people had been removed from their posts, the daily said.

Following the accident, Moreno announced on Wednesday via Twitter that a review of the incident revealed mistakes had been made.

He also ordered the installation of traffic cameras throughout the country.

Among the dead and injured are Ecuadorians, Colombians and Venezuelans, according to officials with the Ministry of Health. Authorities are in the process of identifying the victims.

An investigation into the cause of the accident is underway, but police said there may have been a mechanical problem involving the brakes.