Minas Gerais road crash
| Minas Gerais road crash | |
|---|---|
  | |
| Details | |
| Date | December 21, 2024 c. 4:00 a.m. |
| Location | Lajinha, Teófilo Otoni, Minas Gerais |
| Coordinates | 17°56′26.65″S 41°31′43.29″W / 17.9407361°S 41.5286917°W |
| Country | Brazil |
| Incident type | Multiple-vehicle collision |
| Cause | Under investigation; likely a fire, after a collision between a bus and a granite block, that fell from a B-double due to a tire burst[1] |
| Statistics | |
| Vehicles | 3 |
| Deaths | 41 |
| Injured | 8 |
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.[2][3][4] At least 41 people were killed and 8 others were injured.[5][6] It is the deadliest traffic accident on federal highways in Brazil since 2007, when numbers were first monitored.[7]
Background
[edit]The BR-116 highway is described as the road with the highest record of deaths in Brazil. With an extensive road network and busy flow of heavy trucks, especially in granite-producing regions in northern Minas Gerais, serious accidents are frequent, including during the intense end-of-year traffic. Experts say the highway suffers from structural problems and insufficient inspection. The Rodovia Régis Bittencourt (Régis Bittencourt Highway), the Taboão da Serra–Curitiba section, is nicknamed "Highway of Death" ("Rodovia da Morte") due to its high number of deadly accidents.[8] According to data from the Confederação Nacional do Transporte (National Transport Confederation), Minas Gerais is the state with the most accidents and casualties on Brazilian highways.[9] The Departamento Nacional de Infraestrutura de Transportes (National Department of Transport Infrastructure) stated the speed limit radar near the accident site was removed after the end of the contract with the company responsible for the equipment.[10] In addition, Brazil has had a history of fatal bus accidents in recent years: in 2015, a tourist bus fell into a ravine, in Joinville, Santa Catarina, causing at least 51 deaths.[11]
Collision
[edit]According to the Federal Highway Police, the collision likely occurred when a granite block fell from a B-double due to a tire blowout and hit a passenger bus. The bus, which was in the opposite direction, consequently lost control and caught fire. Afterward, a Fiat Argo car collided with the back of the truck, but without any further fatal victims. Divergent domestic sources disclosed the planned destination of the bus was Vitória da Conquista or Elísio Medrado in Bahia.[9] The bodies of most of the fatalities were found to be charred.[1] The police said the truck driver, whose license was suspended two years ago, fled the crash site. Receipts showed the truck he drove had left Ceará toward Espírito Santo.[12][13]
Aftermath
[edit]On his X account, President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva offered his condolences to the victims' family, stating: "I immensely regret and send my prayers to the relatives of the more than 30 fatal victims from the accident in Teófilo Otoni, Minas Gerais. I pray for the recovery of the survivors of this terrible tragedy." Governor of Minas Gerais Romeu Zema promised "full mobilization" to assist the victims.[14][15] Emtram, the transport company that operated the bus involved, issued a note regretting the crash and providing assistance to the affected people.[16]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "O que sabemos sobre as causas do grave acidente com mais de 30 mortos em MG" [What we know about the causes of the serious accident with more than 30 deaths in MG]. CNN Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). 21 December 2024.
- ^ Bartholomew, Jem (21 December 2024). "At least 38 people killed as bus and truck collide in Brazil". The Guardian.
- ^ "Death toll rises to 38 in major road crash in Brazil". Xinhua. 22 December 2024.
- ^ "'Terrible tragedy': At least 38 killed in bus crash in Brazil". Sky News. 21 December 2024.
- ^ Soares, Thamila; Gama, Rafaela (22 December 2024). "Tragédia em Minas: sobe para 41 o número de mortos no acidente em Teófilo Otoni" [Tragedy in Minas Gerais: the number of deaths in the accident in Teófilo Otoni rises to 41]. O Globo (in Brazilian Portuguese).
- ^ Barreto Filho, Herculano (22 December 2024). "Sobe para 41 o número de mortos em acidente em MG, diz Polícia Civil" [Tragedy in Minas Gerais: the number of deaths in the accident in Teófilo Otoni rises to 41]. UOL (in Brazilian Portuguese).
- ^ Carvalho, Júlia; Tenente, Luiza (21 December 2024). "Acidente em MG é a maior tragédia em rodovias federais desde 2007, início da série histórica da PRF" [Accident in MG is the biggest tragedy on federal highways since 2007, the beginning of the PRF's historical series]. G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese).
- ^ "Conheça a história da rodovia Régis Bittencourt que liga São Paulo ao Sul do Brasil" [Learn about the history of the Régis Bittencourt highway that connects São Paulo to southern Brazil]. O Taboanense. 1 February 2023.
- ^ a b "Acidente em Teófilo Otoni, Minas Gerais: por que BR-116 é a rodovia mais letal do Brasil" [Why BR-116, the scene of the accident that killed 41 in Minas Gerais, is the deadliest highway in Brazil — and what can be done about it]. BBC News Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). December 21, 2024.
- ^ "Radar em trecho de acidente na BR-116 foi retirado após término de contrato" [Radar in accident section on BR-116 was removed after contract termination]. CNN Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). December 21, 2024.
- ^ Conteúdo, Estadão (December 22, 2024). "Acidente em Minas é o terceiro mais grave envolvendo coletivos rodoviários nos últimos 20 anos" [Accident in Minas Gerais is the third most serious involving public transport in the last 20 years]. Correio do Povo (in Brazilian Portuguese).
- ^ "Motorista de carreta de acidente em MG fugiu para o Espírito Santo, diz PRF" [Truck driver involved in accident in Minas Gerais fled to Espírito Santo, says PRF]. UOL (in Brazilian Portuguese). 21 December 2024.
- ^ "Acidente em MG: Motorista de carreta estava com CNH suspensa" [Accident in MG: Truck driver had his license suspended]. Pleno.news (in Brazilian Portuguese). 22 December 2024.
- ^ Pessoa, Gabriela Sá (21 December 2024). "38 people die in a crash between a passenger bus and a truck in Brazil". Associated Press.
- ^ "At least 32 people killed as bus and truck collide in Brazil". Aljazeera. 21 December 2024.
- ^ Bazani, Adamo; Sena, Yuri; Ferrari, Arthur (22 December 2024). "Sobe o número de mortos em acidente com ônibus na BR-116, em Teófilo Otoni (MG)" [Death toll rises in bus accident on BR-116, in Teofilo Otoni (MG)]. Diário do Transporte (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 23 December 2024.