Six people were confirmed dead on Monday after a passenger bus crashed on the BR-153 federal highway in Sao Paulo state, southeastern Brazil, leaving 45 others injured, as per Reuters.
The crash happened near the city of Marilia in the early hours of the day, according to the Sao Paulo state fire department, which announced the incident in a post on X.
Brazil’s Federal Highway Police said the injured victims were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment, though their medical conditions were not immediately made public.
Authorities said the bus was transporting farm workers travelling from Maranhao state in northeastern Brazil to Santa Catarina in the south, where they were headed for seasonal apple harvesting.
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“Preliminary information” showed the vehicle left the roadway and overturned, police said, adding that the circumstances surrounding the crash are still under investigation.
Local reports, citing police sources, suggested the bus may have lost control after a rear tyre burst, causing it to veer off the highway before flipping over.
Meanwhile, Sao Paulo’s State Secretariat of Public Security said the Civil Police have opened an investigation and are working to identify the victims, while confirming that the bus company involved has also been traced.