By Senabri Silvestre

SANTO DOMINGO, (AA) – At least 11 people were killed and 77 seriously injured Thursday when two busses packed with hotels workers crashed in eastern Dominican Republic.

The deadly head on collision in Higuey – about 145 kilometers (90 miles) from Santo Domingo – involved buses from two companies that usually transport employees from the tourist areas of the Caribbean island.

The Metropolitan Transport Authority (Amet) would not rule the possibility that tourists may have been aboard one of the vehicles but said the buses transport only hotels workers.

One bus was headed toward Palma Real, a commercial square in Bávaro, Punta Cana, while the other was taking workers to Higuey, said Manolo Ramirez, a member of the Transport Union Confederation (CASC).

None of the victims who have been taken to various medical centers in this region have been identified, said Diego Pesqueira, an Amet spokesman.

“We are focused on finding the injured and taking them to the hospital,” he told Anadolu Agency.

Some witnesses have speculated that the accident was caused because a tire exploded on one of the buses but some victims blame high speed and recklessness for the crash, an Amet employee told Anadolu Agency on the condition of anonymity.

It is widely-known that drivers are paid for each trip and try to complete as many trips as fast as possible.

“We are investigating the cause of these fatal collision”, said Pesqueira, who added that authorities will conduct a formal report.