RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – A 46-passenger tour bus yesterday fell from an overpass known as the Torta Bridge on BR-381 between the cities of João Monlevade and Nova Era in the interior of Minas Gerais State and left 17 dead and 26 injured, according to the state’s fire department. The vehicle had departed from Mata Grande (Alagoas State) and was bound to São Paulo.
The ANTT (National Land Transportation Agency) reported that the company JS Turismo is the owner of the vehicle and was not authorized to transport passengers.
The crash height was approximately 23 meters, according to experts’ calculations, in an area near the intersection with BR-262, over the Vitória-Minas Railroad line, and also near the Piracicaba River.
According to the Fire Department, 12 passengers died on site and three others died on the way to Margarida Hospital, in João Monlevade, where the wounded were transferred. A fourth victim was rushed to the healthcare center after the bus was lifted; she was found still alive inside the restroom but died when reaching the hospital.
At around 9:20 PM, the firemen confirmed another death of a patient taken to Margarida Hospital.
Other passengers on the bus, a man and his two children were taken to João 23 Hospital in Belo Horizonte, 117 km from the location.
One of the children is a ten-year-old boy who reached the facility in critical condition. The hospital reported that he had been taken to the surgery block for a neurological procedure at about 6 PM. At around 7:3 PM, João 23 Hospital, which specializes in trauma, received the other child, a seven-year-old girl. She had an ankle fracture and was stable.
At 9:30 PM, João 23 Hospital announced that the children’s father, 33 years old, was in a critical condition.
The firefighters reported that the victims rushed to Belo Horizonte were in a critical condition – according to them, at least one of them sustained traumatic brain injury and suspected pneumothorax (air in the pleural space between the lung and the chest wall).
The three patients were transferred by two Arcanjo helicopters – heavy rain that affected Belo Horizonte during the afternoon complicated the landing of the aircraft.
The accident
The Minas Gerais Fire Department spokesperson, Pedro Aihara, said that the force received the call reporting the crash at around 2 PM. According to the report, the bus left Mata Grande at 9 AM on Thursday and was heading to São Paulo. When crossing the bridge, towards Belo Horizonte, the driver lost control of the vehicle and collided with the side-view mirror of a truck that was on the scene.
Witnesses then reported that the driver shouted that he had lost his brakes. The bus began to reverse, crashed into a lateral bridge guard, and fell from a height of 35 meters, according to Civil Police experts. There is still no information on the passenger list.
The Minas Gerais Civil Police said the cause of the accident will be investigated and the report should be ready within 30 days, but the deadline may be extended.
The fire department announced that the bodies will be taken to the João Monlevade IML (Forensic Institute).
Driver jumped off the bus before crash
The PRF-MG (Federal Highway Police of Minas Gerais) reported that it is trying to locate the driver, who is not among the victims of the accident.
The driver jumped off the vehicle before the crash, fled the scene, and has not yet reported to the police. Six other people also jumped off the bus, according to the Fire Department. Three of them were taken to Margarida Hospital, while the other three were uninjured and did not require hospital care.
In a note, ANTT stated that JS Turismo is registered with the agency and that it has a Term of Authorization for regular service granted by a court injunction. However, it is not authorized to carry passengers.
Road of Death
The BR-381 is known as the “road of death” for the number of accidents and deaths occurring in the area.
“It is one of the roads with the highest numbers of deaths in all of Brazil, also because it is widely used by all states. This route has single lane stretches and dangerous bridges and bends. Every stretch of the route is dangerous for drivers and results in many accidents,” said the fire department spokesperson.
The head of PRF-MG communication, Aristides Júnior, said that despite the road’s reputation, the location where the bus crashed is not an area with a history of accidents: “It is not something that occurs very often at the site,” he said.
The Ministry of Infrastructure reported having delivered 49.7 kilometers of dual lanes on BR-381 since 2019, in addition to works such as bridges, overpasses, tunnels, and footbridges. However, the Ministry did not specify a specific date for the works to be conducted on the stretch where the accident occurred.
“The DNIT (National Department of Transportation Infrastructure) is responsible for four of a total of 11 lots of duplication and improvement works on BR-381/MG, along 303 kilometers between the municipalities of Belo Horizonte (MG) and Governador Valadares (MG),” the Ministry said in a statement.
Minas Gerais Governor in solidarity with victims’ families
Minas Gerais Governor Romeu Zema stated on social media that he was “stunned” by the events and that the whole of the Minas Gerais government was at the victims’ disposal. He stated that the BR-381 should have been duplicated at least 30 years ago.
Vale paralyzes train activity and states assistant in rescues
Vale paralyzed its activity on a stretch of railway line when the bus crashed. In a note, the mining company stated that it is helping in attending the victims.
The passenger train that had its course interrupted connects Cariacica (ES), in the metropolitan region of Vitória, to Belo Horizonte. An additional train runs between Itabira and Nova Era, cities near João Monlevade.
“Vale laments the accident that involved a tourism bus in João Monlevade (MG), on Friday afternoon, December 4th. The company has made its teams available to assist in the rescue and care to victims. The company has paralyzed the railway operation at the site and is assessing alternatives for the passenger train trip that is underway from Espírito Santo to Belo Horizonte,” the note says.
Source: UOL