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The one on BR-116, in Minas Gerais, causing 41 deaths, was replaced by another bus hours before the tragedy. The exchange, pointed out by a survivor, was confirmed to the Estadão by Emtram, the company that owns the vehicle.
According to the company, the bus with 44 passengers and a driver that left São Paulo bound for Esídio Medrado, in Bahia, needed to be replaced because the air conditioning did not work well.
The exchange and transfer of passengers and luggage took place at a company support point in Paraíba do Sul, in Rio de Janeiro. From there the bus that replaced the previous one went to Minas, where the accident occurred.
The replacement with another bus with the same characteristics aimed to provide greater convenience to passengers, according to Emtram. “The vehicle’s air conditioning was not air conditioning the environment sufficiently”, he informs, in a note.
Accident between car, bus and trailer left 41 people dead. Photo: MG Fire Department
One of the survivors of the accident, Natalício Araújo Ramos, 41, said in an interview with Inter TV dos Vales that there was heat inside the bus that left São Paulo. The vehicle began to feel stuffy, causing discomfort. He said that, shortly after resuming the trip, he ended up falling asleep and woke up to the screams of passengers. That’s when he saw that the bus was on fire.
Ramos reports that he became desperate and also started screaming for help. He managed to take off his seat belt and used one of the curtains to climb out the window. After hanging outside, he jumped from a height of almost two meters. Another passenger helped him off the bus.
He says he walked avoiding the flames that spread across the accident site and another person helped him get to a higher location. “There was fire everywhere, burning a lot of things”, he described in the interview.
The passenger suffered minor burns to his face, was treated at a hospital and has since been discharged. He doesn’t remember how the accident happened, as he was asleep.
Two other survivors who were hospitalized, Gilberto Gomes de Souza and Pedro Boldrini Lima, were also discharged. Laura Amaral Marinho, Ingrid Alves dos Santos and Fredson José dos Santos Silva remained hospitalized this Tuesday, 24th. The three are in stable condition, but Laura, who has 2 and 3 degree burns, will be transferred to the Regional Hospital of Vitória da Conquista (BA).
How was the accident
The accident happened on Saturday, 21, on BR-116, in the municipality of Teófilo Otoni, Minas Gerais. According to the Federal Highway Police (PRF), a large block of granite came loose from a twin-train trailer and hit the bus, causing an explosion. The collective burned down. A car that was following with three people collided with the trailer, but the occupants survived.
In addition to the 41 dead, at least ten people were injured. Initially, based on witness reports, the Fire Department had attributed the accident to a burst tire on the bus. The causes are being investigated by the PRF and the Civil Police of Minas Gerais.
Truck driver involved in accident with 41 deaths surrenders to police. The man was considered wanted by police since Saturday, when he was involved in the accident. Photo: Reproduction CNN BRASIL
The driver who was driving the truck had his national driver’s license (CNH) suspended and was arrested. He, who fled the scene of the accident, presented himself to the police accompanied by a lawyer, on the afternoon of this Monday, 23rd. After giving a statement, he was released to answer the investigation in freedom.
The name of the driver was not disclosed, which made it impossible for the report to contact his defense.
