An accident and fire on a bus in southeastern Brazil caused the death of at least 32 people, according to firefighters on site. The driver apparently lost control of the vehicle.
The toll of the bus accident, followed by a fire, which occurred on the morning of Saturday, December 21 near the town of Lajinha, in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais (southeast) has increased at least 32 dead, firefighters announced.
“Between 32 and 35” people lost their lives but “it has not yet been possible to specify the exact number due to the state of the bodies,” a fire department spokesperson told AFP by telephone. , who added that a “definitive” assessment would be given after the expertise of the scientific police.
Among the dead were the driver and at least one child, noted firefighters, who needed a crane to remove the charred bodies.
They had previously clarified that there were 13 survivors, who were taken in for medical treatment.
The bus was traveling from Sao Paulo (southeast) towards Vitoria da Conquista, in the state of Bahia (northeast).
A block of granite collapsed on the bus?
Initially, the firefighters gave a version of the facts leading to the accident: around 3:30 a.m. local time, a tire punctured near the town of Lajinha, in Minas Gerais, and the driver lost his seat. control of the vehicle, which hit a truck, we learned from the same source.
Another vehicle hit the rear of the bus, but its occupants survived the impact.
The firefighters subsequently reported another version of the facts, based on witness testimonies, according to which a block of granite collapsed on the bus. It was this fall which would have led to the collision with the truck.
