Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

30 people die in a crash between a passenger bus and a truck in Brazil

The Minas Gerais fire department, which responded to the scene, said 13 others were taken to hospitals near the city of Teofilo Otoni

Ap Correspondent
Saturday 21 December 2024 12:30 EST
Comments
(Belo Horizonte Military Fire Department/Reuters)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A crash between a passenger bus and a truck has killed 30 people on a highway in Minas Gerais, a state in southeastern Brazil.

The Minas Gerais fire department, which responded to the scene, said 13 others were taken to hospitals near the city of Teofilo Otoni. The bus had reportedly departed from Sao Paulo and was carrying 45 passengers.

Authorities said on Saturday afternoon that all victims had been removed from the site and an investigation would determine the cause of the accident.

Witnesses told rescue teams that the bus blew a tyre, causing the driver to lose control and collide with a truck. Others said that a granite block hit the bus, the fire department added.

(Belo Horizonte Military Fire Department/Reuters)

A car with three passengers also collided with the bus, but all three survived.

Gov. Romeu Zema wrote on X that he ordered “full mobilisation” of the Minas Gerais government to assist the victims.

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

In 2024, more than 10,000 people died in traffic accidents in Brazil, according to the Ministry of Transportation.

In September, a bus carrying a football team flipped on a road and killed three people. The Coritiba Crocodiles, a team from the southern Brazilian city of Curitiba, was headed to a game in Rio de Janeiro, where they were set to play in the country’s American football championship. The game was cancelled following the deadly accident.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in