A passenger bus collided with a truck and caught fire early Saturday morning in Brazil, killing 38 out of the 45 people on the bus, including the driver, with the remaining passengers in critical condition at a local hospital, Reuters reports.
The bus had departed from São Paulo and was en route to Bahia when the deadly crash occurred on the BR-116 federal highway near Teófilo Otoni in Minas Gerais. The truck driver fled the scene, and three people in a car that also collided with the truck survived.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva expressed his condolences on social media and assured government support for the victims. A forensic investigation is underway to determine the cause of the crash, with conflicting reports suggesting either a tire blowout or a loose granite block from the truck caused the collision.
