At least 16 dead after tour bus plummets off bridge
At least 16 people have been killed after a bus plunged 20 metres from a bridge, smashing into pieces on the ground below.
The bus was travelling near the town of Joao Monlevade in the southeastern Brazilian state of Minas Gerais on Friday (local time) when it dropped from the bridge, injuring an additional 27 people.
Officials said the driver lost control of the bus after its brakes allegedly failed.
Six people managed to scramble out of the bus before it fell, including the driver, the fire department said.
Emergency services rushed to the scene to assist victims, many of whom were rushed to hospital.
On November 25, a total of 41 people died when a truck and a bus crashed into each other near the city of Taguai in Sao Paulo state.
Between 2015 and 2019 an average of 30,000 people died yearly in road accidents in Brazil, transport officials say.
With AFP and Reuters
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