Five Britons killed in Ecuador bus crash named

Five young British women killed in a bus crash in Ecuador were named today.

Rebecca Logie, 20, Indira Swann, 19, Sarah Howard, 27, Elizabeth Pincock, 19, and Emily Sadler, 20, died last night 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.

Also injured in the crash were another 12 Britons, a French national and two Ecuadorians, a driver and a tour guide.VentureCo said the injured members of the group would return to Quito by air today.

In a statement the company said: "Our deepest sympathy goes to those involved and their families and friends."A Facebook group set up ahead of the trip to Ecuador lists 18 expedition members, including one person from VentureCo.It says they were taking part in either the "Inca and Amazon Venture" or the "Inca Venture".

Both trips set out on March 27 and started with two weeks of Spanish language tuition in Quito, according to VentureCo's website.The Inca and Amazon Venture was to last until July 10, costing £5,645 with flights, while the Inca Venture would have finished on June 19 and cost £4,365 with flights.

The crash happened at about 7.30pm local time yesterday in Sancan, on the road between Manta and Jipijapa, when a bus from the company Reina del Camino was struck by a lorry, the Ecuadorian news website www.eldiario.com.ec reported.Travel advice on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's website warns that Ecuador's roads can be hazardous.It reads: "General road conditions are adequate in Andean and coastal areas, but driving can be dangerous due to the condition of the vehicles on the road and local driving techniques."

Ecuador attracts tourists for its volcanoes, tropical forests and rich wildlife.It includes the Galapagos Islands - which are located some 600 miles west of the mainland - and part of the Amazon Basin.Around 22,000 Britons visit the South American country every year, according to the FCO.

This is not the first time young Britons have died in Ecuador.In July 2006 Aaron Goss, 17, from Rushden, Northamptonshire drowned while swimming in a rainforest river on a Duke of Edinburgh's Award expedition.