At least 32 people were killed in a bus and truck collision in Brazil Transport News

A passenger bus collided with a truck near the town of Laginha in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais, fire officials said.

At least 32 people were killed after a passenger bus and a truck collided on a highway in southeastern Brazil.

The Minas Gerais state fire department, which responded to the accident near the town of Laginha early Saturday, said that “between 32 and 35 people” had died.

She said earlier that 13 people were taken to hospitals near the city of Teofilo Otoni.

The bus reportedly departed from São Paulo and was carrying 45 passengers.

Authorities said the bus’s tire exploded, causing the driver to lose control of the truck and collide with the truck. A car also collided with the bus, but its three passengers survived, according to the fire department.

Authorities said that all victims were removed from the site, and an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the accident.

Governor Romeo Zema wrote on X that he had ordered the “full mobilization” of the Minas Gerais state government to assist survivors and families of the victims.

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

According to Brazilian media outlet Globo, the truck driver fled the scene and police are searching for him.

According to the Federal Highway Police, the highway where the accident occurred was the country’s deadliest in 2023 with 559 deaths recorded, Globo reported.

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

In September, a bus carrying the Curitiba Crocodiles soccer team overturned on the road, killing three people.

The team from the southern city of Curitiba was heading to a match in Rio de Janeiro, which was canceled after the accident.