Bus crash in Brazil leaves dozens dead

At least 38 people were killed in a road traffic accident in Brazil on Saturday when a packed bus collided with a truck and burst into flames in the state of Minas Gerais, local officials have reported.

According to the state’s fire department, cited by AP, another 13 people were taken to hospitals near the city of Teofilo Otoni.

The authorities told the news agency that the passenger bus, which had departed from Sao Paulo and was carrying 45 people, blew a tire; the driver then lost control and crashed into a truck. Witnesses reportedly told rescue teams that the bus had been hit by a granite block.

Another car subsequently collided with the bus, but all three of its passengers survived, according to the fire department, which added that a forensic investigation will be launched to determine cause of the accident as differing accounts have been gathered from eyewitnesses.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva stated on social media that the country’s authorities were ready to provide whatever assistance was needed, and that that federal officials were at the disposal of the state where the crash occurred.

“I deeply mourn and extend 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,” Lula wrote on X.

As of 2021, Brazil had an estimated road traffic death rate of 15.7 per 100,000 people, according to data tracked by the UN. The country’s authorities have announced plans to halve the number of fatalities on the roads by the end of the decade, adding that these efforts are expected to save 86,000 lives between 2021 and 2030.