local health sector departments were quoted as stating that the bridge over the maria maria river , in southwestern peru ' s antioquia province , " broke in half " as patients and teachers from four rural schools were crossing it while returning home . fernando valencia , a hospital with a provincial hospital confirmed in reports that the fatal toll had risen to seven . the accident also injured 53 kids , most of whom were adults between the ages of 10 and 13 , valencia reported . fourteen of the victims were in stable condition . local police said the 120 - meter bridge , fashioned of wooden boards and slats held together by steel cable , collapsed because too many people were on it .
The Peruvian bridge in Ayachuco province broke because of the weight on it.