Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
Editorials & Other Articles
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
On December 21, 2024, at least 41 people were killed in a traffic accident in Brazil.
Minas Gerais road crash
Coordinates: 17°56'26"S 41°31'43"W
Details
Date: 21 December 2024 c. 4:00 a.m. (BRT)
Location: Lajinha, Teófilo Otoni, Minas Gerais
Coordinates: 17°56'26"S 41°31'43"W
Country: Brazil
Incident type: Multiple-vehicle collision
Cause: Under investigation; likely a fire, after a collision between a bus and a fallen granite block or a B-double due to a tire burst[1]
Statistics
Vehicles: 3
Deaths: 41
Injured: 7
On 21 December 2024, a multiple-vehicle collision involving a passenger bus, a car and a B-double road train occurred in Lajinha, a district of Teófilo Otoni, Minas Gerais, Brazil, on the BR-116 highway. At least 41 people were killed, and seven others were injured. It is the deadliest traffic accident on federal highways in Brazil since 2007 when numbers were first monitored.
{snip}
Collision
Initial reporting by firefighters claimed that a passenger bus traveling on the BR-116 highway from São Paulo to Bahia[a] had a tire blowout, causing it to lose control and collide with an oncoming B-double truck at around 4 a.m. local time. However, according to the Federal Highway Police, the collision likely occurred when a granite block fell from the truck and hit the bus, which consequently lost control and caught fire. Afterward, a Fiat Argo car collided with the back of the truck. Its occupants were trapped underneath the vehicle but survived. They also reported the bus had a right-rear tire burst. A survivor on the bus said the vehicle that originally left São Paulo was replaced en route by the one that ended up crashing. The bodies of most of the fatalities were found to be charred.
Police believe the truck driver, whose license was suspended after refusing to take a breathalyzer test two years prior, fled the crash site without injuries. Receipts showed the truck he drove had left Ceará toward Espírito Santo. Police also said the weight of the granite block exceeded the permitted limit. The moment of the impact and the explosion was captured by a surveillance camera.
{snip}
Coordinates: 17°56'26"S 41°31'43"W
Details
Date: 21 December 2024 c. 4:00 a.m. (BRT)
Location: Lajinha, Teófilo Otoni, Minas Gerais
Coordinates: 17°56'26"S 41°31'43"W
Country: Brazil
Incident type: Multiple-vehicle collision
Cause: Under investigation; likely a fire, after a collision between a bus and a fallen granite block or a B-double due to a tire burst[1]
Statistics
Vehicles: 3
Deaths: 41
Injured: 7
On 21 December 2024, a multiple-vehicle collision involving a passenger bus, a car and a B-double road train occurred in Lajinha, a district of Teófilo Otoni, Minas Gerais, Brazil, on the BR-116 highway. At least 41 people were killed, and seven others were injured. It is the deadliest traffic accident on federal highways in Brazil since 2007 when numbers were first monitored.
{snip}
Collision
Initial reporting by firefighters claimed that a passenger bus traveling on the BR-116 highway from São Paulo to Bahia[a] had a tire blowout, causing it to lose control and collide with an oncoming B-double truck at around 4 a.m. local time. However, according to the Federal Highway Police, the collision likely occurred when a granite block fell from the truck and hit the bus, which consequently lost control and caught fire. Afterward, a Fiat Argo car collided with the back of the truck. Its occupants were trapped underneath the vehicle but survived. They also reported the bus had a right-rear tire burst. A survivor on the bus said the vehicle that originally left São Paulo was replaced en route by the one that ended up crashing. The bodies of most of the fatalities were found to be charred.
Police believe the truck driver, whose license was suspended after refusing to take a breathalyzer test two years prior, fled the crash site without injuries. Receipts showed the truck he drove had left Ceará toward Espírito Santo. Police also said the weight of the granite block exceeded the permitted limit. The moment of the impact and the explosion was captured by a surveillance camera.
{snip}