A bus returning from a religious festival in northeast Brazil veered off the road on a bend and overturned on Tuesday, killing at least 16 people, including four children, officials said.
The bus was carrying around 60 passengers when it crashed in a rural area of Alagoas state, ejecting some people while others became trapped beneath the wreckage.
In a statement, the Alagoas state government said seven women, five men and four children were killed in what it described as a “highly complex” accident that remains under investigation.
Local media reported that the bus was returning from celebrations for Our Lady of Candelaria, a religious festival held in the state of Ceará every year on 2 February and attended by thousands of devotees.
“The bus left the road on a curve, overturned, and some passengers were thrown out,” said Colonel André Madeiro, director of the Alagoas Aviation Department, which assisted in the rescue operation.
“Others were trapped under the vehicle. It was a very bad accident, even an atypical one,” he told a press conference.
Survivors, including a child who was seriously injured, were taken to nearby hospitals, where they remain under medical care.
Alagoas governor Paulo Dantas declared three days of mourning.
“I express my solidarity with the families and friends at this time of such great pain,” Dantas wrote on X.
Deadly road accidents are common in Brazil. In October last year, 17 people were killed in northeast Brazil’s Pernambuco state after a driver lost control of a bus.
