A crash between a passenger bus and a truck early Saturday morning killed 37 people on a highway in the southeastern Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, officials said.
The Minas Gerais State Fire Service, which arrived at the scene, said another 13 people were taken to hospital near the town of Teofilo Atoni. The bus reportedly departed from Sao Paulo and was carrying 45 passengers.
Authorities said Saturday afternoon that all victims had been removed from the scene and that an investigation would determine the cause of the crash. Eyewitnesses told rescuers that the bus had a flat tire, causing the driver to lose control and collide with a truck. Others said that a block of granite hit the bus, the fire department added.
A car with three passengers also collided with the bus, but all three survived.
Gov. Romeu Zema wrote on X that he had ordered the “full mobilization” of the Minas Gerais state 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 before Christmas,” Zema said.
More than 10,000 people will die in road accidents in Brazil in 2024, according to the Ministry of Transport.
In September, a bus carrying a football team overturned on the road and killed three people. The Curitiba Crocodiles, a team from the city of Curitiba in southern Brazil, were on their way to a game in Rio de Janeiro where they were to play in the country's American Football Championship. The game was canceled after the fatal incident.