Brazil bus crash kills at least 23, injures 5 in Parana state

At least 23 people lost their lives and five others sustained injuries when a bus transporting patients and healthcare workers collided with a truck on a highway in southern Brazil, according to authorities. The accident occurred early Wednesday on the BR-373 highway near the city of Ipiranga in the state of Parana, reported the Federal Highway Police.

Governor Ratinho Junior of Parana announced three days of official mourning throughout the state in response to the tragedy. Most of the victims were passengers on the bus, which belonged to the municipal health department of Imbituva. The truck driver was also killed in the collision.

The bus was en route to hospitals in and around Parana’s capital, Curitiba, approximately 180 kilometers (110 miles) away, said police. Initial findings indicate that the truck crossed into the opposing lane before striking the bus. Authorities are investigating the circumstances that led the truck to veer across the highway. In the aftermath of the crash, traffic on the highway was halted in both directions.