Higüey, Dominican Republic.- A total of 22 people, three of them yet to identify, is number of fatalities so far in Friday’s three-way collision between two buses and a pickup truck that also left 26 wounded near the village Benerito, La Altagracia province (east).

Of the total, 19 bodies have already been identified, including one Dominican woman and four Italians.

FILE.- Al least 22 people have died and an undetermined number of wounded in a collision of two buses one of them full of tourists, near the Chavon river, on the La Romana-Higuey highway.

Public Health ambulances reached the site to assist the wounded as reports describe dismembered bodies scattered about, and 15 Dominicans and 9 Italian tourists are reportedly among the dead. Several victims were trapped in the rubble of the buses, the authorities said.

Alson involved in the crash was a Mitsubishi pickupt truck, said seargent Carrasco of the National Police at Higuey.

"Terrible," said Metropolitan Transit Authority (AMET) director Miguel Mahfoud of the accident. "So far we have not well-confirmed 20 more or less dead."

The official said a Sichoprola bus and one of the company FLTours with tourists from Bavaro headed to San Pedro from Higüey collided at 8:45 a.m. near the village Benerito. “We’re currently in a gigantic rescue operation to aid the wounded.”

UPDATE

The Red Cross in La Romana said they’ve confirmed the deaths of 18 people so far, but note that the figure could rise as crews break open the wereckages.

In the morgue at the Hospital in Higuey, CDN TV reports at least 19 bodies have been brought from the accident scene.