Bus collides with truck, more than 30 people killed – DW – 12/21/2024

A passenger bus and a truck collided on a highway in Brazil’s Minas Gerais state on Saturday, killing at least 38 people.

The bus reportedly left Sao Paulo for the northeastern state of Bahia and was carrying about 45 passengers. All 38 victims of the accident were on the bus, while the remaining passengers were taken to hospital.

Governor Romeu Zema wrote on Twitter that he ordered “full mobilization” of the Minas Gerais government to assist the victims.

“We are working to ensure that the families of the victims are supported to cope with this tragedy in the most humane way possible, especially as it comes just before Christmas,” Zema said.

More than 10,000 people are expected to die in traffic accidents in Brazil in 2024, according to the country’s transportation ministry.

The cause of the accident is not clear

A passenger car carrying three people also collided with the bus, but all three people survived.

Local authorities said that a forensic investigation would be required to determine the cause of the accident, as witnesses gave varying statements.

Some people told the rescue team that the tire of the bus burst, due to which the driver lost control and collided with the truck. But others at the scene said a granite block from the truck fell onto the road and hit the bus, the fire department said.

Fire and rescue officials also said that the truck driver fled from the spot.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed support for the investigation and expressed condolences over those killed.

“I express my deepest condolences and prayers for the families of the more than 30 victims of the accident in Teofilo Otoni, Minas Gerais. I pray for the recovery of the survivors of this terrible tragedy,” Lula wrote on Twitter.

jcg/kb (AP, Reuters)