9 pilgrims killed in Mexico bus crash

A bus carrying worshippers on a pilgrimage to a famous shrine in central Mexico plunged into a valley Monday, killing nine passengers and leaving 38 injured.

The private bus was carrying people from the northern state of Zacatecas to the Roman Catholic shrine in Chalma when it ran off a mountain road and tumbled down a slope, state police reported.

The bus tumbled about 30 yards before coming to rest on its side. The cause of the accident was still under investigation, the Mexico State Public Safety Agency said.

Agency spokeswoman Carla Vazquez said the accident occurred on a highway about 25 miles west of the capital, and emergency crews were working to remove the wreckage.

The injured were taken to hospitals in the nearby cities of Malinalco and Toluca but there was no immediate information on their condition.

Chalma is revered as one of Mexico's most popular pilgrimage sites, and worshippers often go there to request divine assistance or give thanks for prayers answered.