More than 25 killed in Brazil bus, truck crash, state firefighters say

BRASILIA (AFP): At least 25 people have been killed after a bus collided with a truck in Bahia state in northeastern Brazil, state firefighters said Monday.

A video, recorded during the night, showed the truck surrounded by blue boxes filled with mangoes and scattered on the ground. Several firefighters could be seen working at the scene.

“Military firefighters responded to an incident that left 25 dead” about 155 miles (250 kilometers) from the capital of Bahia state, Salvador.

Five people were also injured in the accident Sunday night, according to Brazilian press reports, which published images of the twisted fuselage of the truck.

The cause of the accident is still unknown. The bodies of the victims have been handed over to police for identification.

The mayor’s office of Jacobina, a city close to the accident, declared three days of official mourning on Monday and is preparing a “collective wake” for the victims.

“The prefecture expresses its sincere condolences to the families and friends of the victims in this moment of unprecedented sadness and pain,” it said in a note posted on Instagram.

It is the latest crash involving a bus and multiple fatalities in Brazil. Last August seven fans of Sao Paulo-based Corinthians were killed on a highway in the southeast of the country after attending a match of their team against Cruzeiro in Belo Horizonte.

And at least 10 people were killed and two dozen injured in March 2022 when a bus carrying a group of workers plunged off a highway in southern Brazil.