More than 30 dead in Brazil bus and truck collision

An overcrowded bus collided with a truck and caught fire early Saturday in Brazilkilling more than 30 people, the fire department said.

After removing all victims from the main highway near the town of Teofilo Otoni in Minas Gerais, the state fire service reported that of the 45 people on the bus, 38 were confirmed dead, including the bus driver.

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The other passengers remained in critical condition after being transported to a local hospital.

The truck driver fled the scene, and three passengers from the car that collided with the truck and were trapped underneath survived the crash, firefighters said.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva he stated on social media that the government is ready to provide all necessary assistance and that the Federal Highway Policy is in place.

Map of Brazil. (Encyclopedia Britannica/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

“I deeply regret and send my prayers to 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,” he posted on X.

A forensic investigation will be required to determine the cause of the accident, as different statements have been gathered from witness statements, the local fire department said.

Firefighters initially reported that the bus suffered a flat tire, causing the driver to lose control before colliding with an oncoming truck around 4 a.m. local time on the BR-116 federal highway, the main route connecting Brazil’s densely populated southeast with the poorer northeast .

However, witnesses also reported that a granite block the truck was carrying broke loose, fell onto the road and caused a collision with the bus, the Fire Department said.

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“Only a forensic investigation will confirm the true version,” the fire department said in a statement.

The bus left from São Paulo and headed to the state of Bahia.