According to the fire department, a passenger bus collided with a truck near the town of Lajinha in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais.
At least 32 people have died after a passenger bus and a truck collided on a highway in southeastern Brazil.
Firefighters in Minas Gerais state, which responded to the accident near the town of Lajinha early Saturday, said “between 32 and 35 people” were killed.
It was previously said that 13 people had been taken to hospitals near the town of Teofilo Otoni.
The bus reportedly departed from Sao Paulo and had 45 passengers on board.
According to authorities, one of the bus’s tires burst, causing the driver to lose control and collide with the truck. A car also collided with the bus, but all three occupants survived, according to the fire department.
All victims have been removed from the scene and an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the accident, authorities said.
Governor Romeu Zema wrote on
“We are working to ensure that the families of the victims are supported to deal with this tragedy in the most humane way possible, especially as it comes just before Christmas,” Zema said.
According to Globo, a Brazilian media outlet, the truck driver fled the scene and is wanted by police.
According to the Federal Highway Police, the highway where the accident occurred was the deadliest in the country in 2023, with 559 deaths, Globo reported.
According to the Ministry of Transport, more than 10,000 people died in traffic accidents in Brazil in 2024.
In September, a bus belonging to the Coritiba Crocodiles soccer team overturned on a road, killing three people.
The team from the southern city of Curitiba traveled to Rio de Janeiro for a game that was canceled after the accident.
