At least 37 people have died after an accident between a bus and a truck in Brazil

An accident between a bus and a truck early Saturday morning killed 37 people on a highway in Minas Gerais, in the southeastern state of Brazil, officials said.

The fire department in Minas Gerais, which responded to the scene, said that 13 others were taken to hospitals near the city of Teofilo Otoni. It is said that this bus had left from Sao Paulo and was carrying 45 passengers.

The authorities said on Saturday afternoon that all the victims have been removed from the area and the investigation will clarify the cause of the accident. Eyewitnesses told the rescue team that the bus blew a tire, the driver lost control and crashed into a truck. Some say the granite block hit the bus, the fire department said.

A car with three passengers also collided with the bus, but all three survived.

Gov. Romeu Zema wrote in X that he ordered the “full mobilization” of the government of Minas Gerais to help the victims.

“We are working to ensure that the families of the deceased are supported to deal with this massacre in a humane way, especially as it comes before Christmas,” said Zema.

By 2024, more than 10,000 people will die in road accidents in Brazil, according to the Ministry of Transport.

In September, a bus carrying a soccer team overturned on the road, killing three people. The Coritiba Crocodiles team, located in the southern city of Brazil, Curitiba, was heading to the game in Rio de Janeiro, where they will play in the American football tournament. The game was canceled following an accident that killed many people.