Crash involving a bus, car and trailer took place on Saturday (21) in Teófilo Otoni (MG); 38 people died
The bodies of the 38 victims of the bus station on BR-116, in Teófilo Otoni (MG), arrived in the early hours of this Sunday (Dec 22, 2024) at the IML (Legal Medical Institute) in Belo Horizonte. After identification, they will be released to their families.
The names of the dead have not yet been released.
The accident occurred in the early hours of Saturday (Dec 21). According to preliminary information from the Federal Highway Police, one of a trailer hit a bus coming in the opposite direction, causing a fire. A car, which was behind the trailer, was unable to stop and hit the back of it.
Initially, the bodies were sent to the IML post in Teófilo Otoni, and a team even traveled to the municipality to help with the work. However, the Civil Police decided to concentrate the identification work in Belo Horizonte.
The driver of the truck fled the scene after the accident.
The accident happened on the stretch of BR-116 that passes through the Lajinha region, rural area of Teófilo Otoni (MG). The highway has seen the most accidents in the last decade. It is known for being one of the most dangerous in Brazil.
From 2013 to 2023, BR-116 had the highest number of fatalities in the country, except in 2016, when it recorded 824 deaths, behind BR-101, which had 839. The data is from the (National Transport Confederation).
Until October of this year, the last update, the number of victims on BR-116 already totaled 664.
With a length of 4,713 km, BR-116 crosses the country, going from the city of Fortaleza, in Ceará, to the city of Jaguarão, in Rio Grande do Sul. It is the most paved in the country.
The route crosses 10 states, passing through capitals such as Porto Alegre, Curitiba, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Although there are duplicate sections in metropolitan areas, the infrastructure is not of the same quality in all sections, contributing to the high accident rates.
