More than 40 killed in head-on collision between truck and bus in Brazil’s ‘worst highway crash this year’

At least 41 people have died as a result of a crash involving a bus and a truck in Brazil. The Military Police have reported many more are injured following the collision, which happened in Sao Paulo state early on Wednesday.

The two vehicles collided on a highway between Taguaí and Taquarituba, in the region of Avaré, some 350 kilometers from São Paulo city on Wednesday morning. 

Local media reports the Piraju Fire Department was called to attend the incident at 6:45 am local time.

According to the Military Police, the bus was taking employees of a textile company to work when the incident occurred. The bus reportedly tried to overtake another vehicle when it hit the truck head-on. 

Videos and photos have emerged on social media showing the wreckage of the two vehicles.

Alexandre Guedes of the Military Police told GloboNews: “It is the accident with [the] highest fatalities on the highways this year. There are no more survivors at the scene. All survivors were rescued.” 

Guedes confirmed late on Wednesday morning that the death toll had reached 41.

According to Edson Winckler Filho, a fire department captain, some bodies still remain trapped in the wreckage.

The police said earlier that at least 15 people had already been taken to hospitals. All of the victims, bar the truck driver, are thought to have been traveling on the bus.

Brazil is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for road safety, with total traffic-related fatalities only surpassed by India and China. Data published by the World Health Organization states that there were 43,698 traffic-related deaths in 2018 on Brazil’s roads.

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