LA PAZ, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- At least 19 people died and nine others were injured early Sunday morning when a passenger bus overturned in southern Bolivia, local police said.

The accident occurred in Cerdas, a town in the Potosi department, the municipal police of nearby Uyuni reported.

Among the dead were 14 women and two minors. The injured were rushed to hospital, according to the police report.

The death toll could rise given the severity of injuries, police said.

Initial investigation indicates that the accident may have been caused by speeding and an inexperienced driver.

The bus, with a capacity to carry 50 passengers, was running a long-distance trip about 850 km between La Paz and Villazon, a town on the border with Argentina. ■