A tragic incident occurred in northeastern Brazil where a passenger bus collided with a sand embankment, resulting in the bus overturning and causing the death of at least 17 individuals. The crash took place on Saturday, October 18, with the bus carrying approximately 30 passengers. The exact number of injured individuals, who were promptly transported to nearby hospitals, remains unclear.
The bus, identified as a “tourist bus” by Police Chief Luciano Holanda, was en route to Brumado when the accident transpired in Saloá, a city within the state of Pernambuco. According to authorities, the driver lost control of the bus, veered into the opposite lane, struck rocks on the roadside, and ultimately crashed into a sand embankment, causing the vehicle to flip over.
Several passengers were ejected from the bus during the rollover due to not wearing seat belts. The bus was returning from Brumado in Bahia to Santa Cruz do Capibaribe in Pernambuco’s Agreste region when the tragic incident occurred, with the passengers heading back to Capibaribe in Pernambuco’s Agreste region.
Governor Jernimo Teixeira of Bahia expressed his administration’s commitment to aiding rescue operations and victim identification. He conveyed his deep condolences for the lives lost, injuries sustained, and the distress experienced by the affected families.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation, with the driver sustaining minor injuries and testing negative for alcohol. In 2024, over 10,000 fatalities were reported in traffic accidents across Brazil, as per data from the Ministry of Transportation.
