Sand Truck Crash On BR-116 Near Pelotas Leaves 11 Dead In Bus

Key Points

• A sand truck crossed into oncoming traffic and hit a passenger bus on BR-116 near Pelotas, killing 11.
• Sand poured into the cabin, trapping riders and forcing a search that ended early Saturday.
• Police are probing whether slow traffic and a disabled vehicle ahead helped trigger the crash.

A routine bus trip in southern Brazil ended in a deadly, sand-filled wreck.

Authorities in Rio Grande do Sul say a dump truck hauling sand moved into the opposite lane and hit a passenger bus around 11:24 a.m. on Friday, January 2, at kilometer 491 of BR-116, near Pelotas and the Arroio Corrientes bridge, about 60 kilometers from the Uruguayan border.

Officials initially indicated the truck may not have been able to stop in time. The death toll rose to 11. Searches ended early Saturday after officials said no one remained missing.

The bus, operated by Santa Silvana, left Pelotas about 10:30 a.m. for São Lourenço do Sul. Because the line makes intermediate stops, passenger counts shifted during the day. Local reporting later cited 27 people onboard: 25 passengers plus the driver and a fare collector.

Sand Truck Crash On BR-116 Near Pelotas Leaves 11 Dead In Bus

Two victims were identified as driver Carlos Blank, 34, and fare collector Luis Anselmo da Silva, 57. Eleven injured people were taken to regional hospitals after on-scene care from SAMU and other emergency teams; some cases were described as severe. Five others were reported unhurt.

The cargo drove the toll. Sand spilled into the bus and buried parts of the passenger compartment, slowing access and complicating the rescue.

A CCTV video released by the road operator spread quickly online, especially on X, Facebook, and Instagram, appearing to show the truck cutting across lanes near slow traffic.

Investigators have not issued a final cause. They are examining reports of backed-up traffic and a separate truck stopped with mechanical trouble. Police said the sand truck driver was hospitalized and had a negative breathalyzer test.

The collision blocked BR-116 in both directions and forced detours. On a truck-heavy corridor, the lesson is blunt: congestion and heavy loads can turn a moment’s loss of control into a mass-casualty event.

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