Head-on collision between bus and lorry in Brazil kills more than 20
It is not yet clear what caused the two vehicles to crash into each other in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
A head-on collision between a minibus and a lorry on the BR-373 highway in southern Brazil has claimed at least 23 lives, including two children, and left five others injured, highway police have reported. The tragic accident occurred early on Wednesday in the state of Paraná, approximately 60km from the city of Imbituva. The minibus, operated by the health authorities, was reportedly transporting patients and their relatives to appointments in Ponta Grossa.
Authorities have launched an investigation to ascertain the cause of the crash. The driver of the lorry was among the fatalities. The highway was temporarily closed for nearly seven hours as forensic experts and members of Brazil's federal highway police investigated the scene, located at kilometre 209. Road traffic accidents are alarmingly common in Brazil, with over 34,000 people losing their lives in such incidents in 2023, the majority of whom were motorcyclists.
Excessive speed, drunken driving, and the use of mobile phones while driving are often cited as the primary causes. In February, 15 individuals tragically died aboard a bus carrying pilgrims to a festival in northeastern Ceará.
Written by urgent.news from BBC World's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
