Eleven people die in accident involving truck and bus in RS

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This Friday (2/1), 11 people died in a collision between a truck and a bus at kilometer 491 of BR-116, in Pelotas, in the South Region of Rio Grande do Sul, according to the Federal Highway Police. Among the deceased is the bus driver and the identities of the victims have not been released.

According to Ecovias, the company responsible for managing the highway, there were 27 passengers on the bus. Eleven other victims who survived were taken to a hospital. Some of the sand from the truck entered the bus and hampered the work of rescuers. The Mobile Emergency Care Service (Samu) team also helped to remove other injured people.

According to Ecovias, one of the injured was rescued by the team in a serious condition and another in a “mild” condition: one of them was the driver of the truck, who was taken to the Emergency Room Hospital (HPS) in Pelotas. He underwent a breathalyzer test, which, according to the PRF, was negative for alcohol consumption. Five other passengers were not injured.

The fatal accident happened around 11:20 am, at km 491 of the highway, towards Camaquã. According to Ecovias, the truck swerved onto the wrong side of the road as it was caught in a traffic jam. When going into the opposite lane in order to avoid hitting stopped vehicles, he collided with the bus. Part of the truck’s sand load invaded the bus, burying the passengers.

The city of São Lourenço do Sul released a statement regretting the accident. Read in full:

“On Friday morning (2), a head-on collision was recorded between a trailer and a bus at km 491 of BR-116, close to the Arroio Corrientes bridge, heading north (Camaquã). The accident involved a bus that had left Pelotas at 10:30 am bound for São Lourenço do Sul and a bucket trailer. The road is completely blocked in both directions. EcoVias Sul requested support to deal with the incident. The City of São Lourenço do Sul is monitoring the situation and is mobilized, providing all necessary support for relief actions and assistance to the people involved. The information is being updated according to the official investigation”.