A packed bus collided with a truck and burst into flames early on Saturday in Brazil, killing more than 30 people, the fire department said.
After removing all of the victims from a major highway near the town of Teofilo Otoni in Minas Gerais, the state’s fire department reported that of the 45 people on the bus, 38, including the bus driver, had been confirmed dead.
The other passengers remained in critical condition after being transported to a local hospital.
The truck driver fled the scene, and three occupants of a car that collided with the truck and became trapped underneath survived the accident, said the fire department.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva stated on social media that the government was ready to provide whatever assistance was needed, and that the Federal Highway Policy was at the site.
“I deeply mourn and extend my prayers to the families of the more than 30 victims of the accident in Teofilo Otoni, Minas Gerais. I pray for the recovery of the survivors of this terrible tragedy,” he wrote on X.