At least 30 people died on Wednesday after the bus they were travelling on plunged down a ravine and into a river in central Peru.

According to authorities, another nine passengers were still missing.

Travel logs indicated that the bus had 52 passengers on board and was en route to Satipo when it plunged some 50 metres into the Tarma river.

Authorities struggled to rescue injured passengers due to torrential rainfall in the area and turbulent river currents.

That accident happened during the early morning hours and speculate that a lack of traffic signs could have been the cause.

“Thirty people have died, (rescue workers) are removing the bodies and they have not finished. We are still searching for nine passengers who are missing. The cause (of the accident) was because there were no signs on the highway,” Susana Natividad, the administrator of Central Turismo said.

The inured were taken to several hospitals in the Chanchamayo region.