At least 38 die in bus accident in southeastern Brazil

The Star

At least 38 people were killed in a bus crash in southeastern Brazil on Saturday, officials said, in what President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called a "terrible tragedy."   WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news SUBSCRIBE: https://cutt.ly/TheStar LIKE: https://fb.com/TheStarOnline

Transcript

00:00A packed bus collided with a truck and burst into flames on a major highway early Saturday

00:07in Brazil, killing over 30 people in one of the country's worst highway accidents in

00:12recent years.

00:14According to the fire department, 38 of the 45 people aboard the bus, including the driver,

00:20were confirmed dead in the crash, which occurred near Teofilo Otoni in Minas Gerais state.

00:27The remaining passengers were critically injured and transported to a local hospital.

00:32Officials reported that the truck driver fled the scene, while three occupants of a car

00:37that collided with the truck and became trapped underneath survived.

00:41Initial investigations suggest a block of granite may have fallen from a truck traveling

00:46in the opposite direction, striking the bus.

00:49Earlier reports indicated the bus may have blown a tire around 4 a.m., causing the driver

00:54to lose control and collide with the truck.

00:58A third vehicle also struck the bus from behind, but its occupants survived.

01:03The bus, en route from Sao Paulo to Vitória da Conquista in Bahia state, caught fire after

01:09the crash.

01:10A forensic investigation is underway to determine the exact cause, as witness accounts differ.

01:16The Federal Highway Police, PRF, stated this was the deadliest accident on Brazil's federal

01:22highways since 2007.

01:25Calling it a terrible tragedy, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed condolences

01:31on social media, pledging government support for the victims and their families.

Category

Transcript

Recommended