A collision between a passenger bus and a truck killed 37 people early Saturday on a highway in Minas Gerais, a state in southeastern Brazil, officials said.
According to the Minas Gerais Fire Department, which was at the scene, 13 other people were taken to hospitals near the town of Teofilo Otoni. The bus reportedly departed from Sao Paulo and had 45 passengers on board.
Authorities said Saturday afternoon that all victims had been removed from the scene and an investigation would determine the cause of the accident. Witnesses told emergency responders that the bus’s tire burst, causing the driver to lose control and crash into a truck. Others said a granite block hit the bus, the fire department added.
A car with three occupants also collided with the bus, but all three survived.
Governor Romeu Zema wrote on X that he had ordered the “full mobilization” of the Minas Gerais government to help the victims.
“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 the Ministry of Transport, more than 10,000 people died in traffic accidents in Brazil in 2024.
In September, a bus carrying a soccer team overturned on a street, killing three people. The Coritiba Crocodiles, a team from the southern Brazilian city of Curitiba, were on their way to a game in Rio de Janeiro where they were scheduled to take part in the country’s American football championship. The game was canceled after the fatal accident.
