A collision between a passenger bus and a truck early Saturday killed 37 people on a highway in the southeastern Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, authorities said.
The Minas Gerais fire department, which responded to the scene, said 13 others were taken to hospitals near the town of Teófilo Otoni. According to reports, the bus had left São Paulo and was carrying 45 passengers.
Authorities said late Saturday that all victims had been removed from the scene and that an investigation would determine the cause of the crash. Witnesses told rescue crews that the bus blew a tire, causing the driver to lose control and collide with a truck. Others said a block of granite hit the bus, firefighters added.
A car with three passengers also collided with the bus, but all three survived.
Governor Romeu Zema wrote to X that he ordered “the total mobilization” of the government of Minas Gerais 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 just before Christmas,” Zema said.
In 2024, more than 10,000 people died in traffic accidents in Brazil, according to the Ministry of Transport.
In September, a bus carrying a soccer team overturned on a highway, killing three people. The Coritiba Crocodiles, a team from the southern Brazilian city of Curitiba, were heading to a game in Rio de Janeiro, where they were set to play in the country’s American football championship. The game was canceled after the fatal crash.