From correspondents in Americas, 01:34 PM IST

At least 11 people have been killed and more than 20 injured in shootings and accidents during the Christmas holiday in Guatemala, emergency service officials have said.

Six people have been gunned down in separate incidents while accidents claimed five lives across the country, Spain's EFE news agency reported Wednesday.

According to the emergency services department, all the accident fatalities were reported from western and southern coastal region of the Central American country.

Three people were killed and seven others injured when a pick-up truck crashed on a highway between Huehuetenango and Quetzaltenango provinces in western Guatemala.

Two other people were killed in a crash in the southern province of Retalhuleu when the driver of a vehicle fell asleep.

Six people, including a police officer, were gunned down across the country.

Police and emergency services officials also reported about 20 people injured, seven of them by gunfire and the rest in traffic accidents.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)