Five women die in Ecuador bus crash

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Rebecca Logie, 20, Indira Swann, 19, Sarah Howard, 27, Elizabeth Pincock, 19, and Emily Sadler, 20, died as they travelled from the capital Quito to the coastal town of Puerto Lopez.

They were taking part in a trip organised by Warwick-based gap year specialists VentureCo.

Ecuadorian police said a lorry carrying a load of sand crashed into the left side of the bus, and the lorry driver fled the scene.

Police officer Edison Chiluisa said the injured include 12 British tourists, a tour guide and a driver - both Ecuadorian - and a French citizen.

VentureCo said the injured members of the group would return to Quito by air. In a statement the company said: "Our deepest sympathy goes to those involved and their families and friends."

The crash happened at about 7.30pm local time on Saturday in Sancan, on the road between Manta and Jipijapa.

A spokesman for the FCO said the Ecuadorian military had flown the acting British ambassador to visit the injured in hospital in the town of Manta. It is thought that most of them will return to Quito in the coming days.

"We also understand that the Ecuador authorities have appointed a prosecutor to investigate the accident - we welcome this," the spokesman added.

Mark Davison, the director of VentureCo, said the group were reaching the end of an eight-hour journey and were just 30 minutes from their destination when the accident happened.