Bus Collision With Truck In Brazil, 38 Dead

UNSPLASH/Bailey Heedick ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - Buses full of passengers collided with trucks and burned in Brazil. A total of 38 people died.

Another passenger was in critical condition and was evacuated to a local hospital on Saturday, December 21.

The fire department said a total of 45 people on the bus departed from Sao Paulo and headed to Bahia state. Meanwhile, the truck driver fled the scene

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said the government was ready to provide whatever assistance needed.

"I am deeply saddened and convey my prayers to the family of more than 30 victims of the accident at Teofilo Otoni, Minas Gerais. I pray for the healing of the survivors of this terrible tragedy," he wrote on X.

A forensic investigation was carried out to determine the cause of the accident.

Initially, firefighters reported the bus tire broke, causing the driver to lose control before colliding with the truck

However, witnesses also reported that the truck's transport beam fell onto the road and caused a collision with the bus.

Only a forensic investigation will confirm the true version, the firefighters said in a statement.