AT LEAST 38 people have died in a horrific crash after an overcrowded bus collided with a truck in Brazil before bursting into flames.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva described the fatal crash as a “terrible tragedy” with harrowing images showing a burnt-out bus left on the side of the road.
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The burnt wreckage of the bus after the collisionCredit: AFP
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The car was also trapped under the truckCredit: AFP
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Debris flew across the road in the horrific crash and bus seats were seen scattered on the groundCredit: AFP
The bus, which was carrying 45 passengers, burst into flames after one of its tires suddenly burst and the engine lost control, horrified witnesses said.
The driver struggled to keep it on the road before crashing into an oncoming truck.
Dozens of passengers eventually died along with the driver when the bus veered off the concrete road.
Moments later the impact unleashed a deadly inferno.
Footage shows firefighters dousing the burning wreckage of the bus as it lay by the side of a busy main road in the eastern state of Minas Gerais.
Other onlookers also told the rescue teams that the bus hit a granite block as it went out of control.
The lorry was left in a badly damaged condition with images showing it appeared to have collided with another car just seconds after the initial collision.
The small car was crushed under the weight of the truck, but the driver and two passengers reportedly miraculously managed to escape.
The truck driver later fled the scene of the accident, local media reported.
Another 13 people were taken to hospital after the accident, local firefighters said.
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Mr. da Silva added in a statement: “I deeply regret and send my prayers to the families of the more than 30 who died in the accident in Teofilo Otoni, Minas Gerais.
“I pray for the recovery of the survivors of this terrible tragedy.”
Local governor Romeo Zema wrote on X that he had ordered the “total mobilization” of the Minas Gerais government to help the victim’s loved ones.
More than 10,000 people have tragically died in traffic accidents in Brazil this year alone.
It comes just months after three people were killed in a horrific bus accident carrying Brazil’s soccer team to a championship game.
Local media claim that the trio who died were players of the American football team Coritiba Crocodiles from the city of Curitiba in the south of Brazil.
In May, Brazilian country music star Ana Paula Vieira was killed along with her boyfriend in a horrific head-on collision.
The 27-year-old was driving home with her partner Marcelo Stocco, 32, after her last appearance in Cacoal when they collided with a tractor trailer – leaving the car damaged by the side of the motorway.
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Firefighters inspect the wreckage Credit: Reuters
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A crane works to move the bus off the side of the roadCredit: AFP
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