An Assemblies of God bus in San Miguel, El Salvador, plunged over a cliff on Saturday, August 14, killing at least 46 church members, students and guests.

According to an Assemblies of God report filed on August 20, the Assemblies of God church and Latin America ChildCare (LACC) school members were on their way to a nearby baptismal service when the “brakes failed on approach to a curve, and the body of the vehicle was torn from the wheelbase frame.” Of the 61 members on the bus, at least 46 lost their lives as “the bus hit the valley below.”

The pastor of the A/G church, Pastor Jose Antonio Aviles, his wife and three children were among those who lost their lives. The LACC school director and his family did not survive the fall. Three other LACC students were killed upon impact, while nine other students were critically injured. Other students lost their parents or family members.

The LACC is one of the largest integrated networks of evangelical schools in Latin America and the Caribbean. Established by A/G World Mission Executive Director John Bueno in 1963 to fight poverty in the regions, the LACC remained as one of the strongest ministry arms of the Assemblies of God World Missions in Latin America and the Caribbean. Since its inception, the LACC schools taught over 500,00 students. More than 80,000 students are currently enrolled in the LACC schools across 20 countries.

The director of LACC said a fund has been set up to assist the living family members with burial costs and medical expenses. To help contribute to the cause, contact the LACC office at: 1-800-289-7071 or direct their giving through AGWM, El Salvador Field Account #890895-6 (46) for disaster relief.