A deadly road mishap in northeastern Brazil resulted in the death of 25 individuals when a tourist bus collided with a mango truck.
The crash took place near Gaviao in the state of Bahia on BR-324, around 11:30 p.m. on Sunday, January 7, 2024. This incident is another addition to the increasing number of fatal bus accidents in Brazil.
The bus was returning from a trip to Guarajuba Beach and was headed to Jacobina when it had a head-on collision with the truck, according to the Bahia State Fire Department.
The crash was severe, killing all three occupants of the truck and 22 passengers on the bus.
Of the bus passengers, 17 women, one of whom was pregnant, and eight men lost their lives. The death toll, initially reported as 24, increased to 25 after another passenger died.
Six individuals suffered injuries of various degrees and were transported to four different hospitals in the region.
The victims’ nationalities and the precise cause of the crash have not been determined yet. Currently, local authorities are investigating the incident.
Following the tragedy, the mayor’s office in Jacobina announced three days of official mourning starting Monday. There are plans to hold a collective wake for the victims as a tribute and to help the grieving community.
Video footage from the scene shows the truck surrounded by scattered boxes of mangoes and firefighters working among the wreckage.
This incident is similar to past fatal bus accidents in Brazil. In August 2023, seven fans of the Sao Paulo Corinthians football team died in a crash on a highway in southeastern Brazil after attending a game. In March 2022, a bus carrying a group of workers veered off a highway in southern Brazil, killing at least ten passengers and injuring several others.
The federal highway police, involved in the ongoing investigation, suggested that the head-on collision might have happened while one vehicle was trying to overtake another, but this has not been confirmed.
Such tragic incidents have been a common occurrence on Brazil’s extensive network of roads and highways, raising concerns about the nation’s road safety and vehicle standards.
