At least 21 killed in bus-truck collision in Brazil’s Paraná state

At least 21 people were killed and four others sustained injuries after a passenger bus and a truck collided head-on on the BR-373 highway in Brazil’s southern state of Paraná

PARANÁ: At least 21 people were killed and four others sustained injuries after a passenger bus and a truck collided head-on on the BR-373 highway in Brazil’s southern state of Paraná, authorities said on Wednesday.

The crash occurred on a section of the highway in Paraná, prompting emergency teams and road authorities to respond to the scene. According to Via Araucária, the company responsible for operating the road, all 21 fatalities were passengers traveling on the bus.

Four other people were injured in the accident and were taken for medical treatment, although authorities had not immediately provided detailed information about the severity of their injuries.

Following the crash, the highway was completely closed to traffic in the affected area. Via Araucária said there was no immediate estimate for when the road would be reopened, as emergency and recovery operations were continuing at the site.

Local media reports said the bus involved in the collision was operated by the municipal health department of Imbituva. The reports indicated that the vehicle was being used by the local authority, although officials had not immediately confirmed the circumstances surrounding its journey.

Authorities in Imbituva had not responded to requests for comment or confirmation regarding the reported involvement of the municipal health department bus.

Imbituva is a municipality with a population of around 30,000 people. It is located approximately 180 kilometres (110 miles) west of Curitiba, the capital of Paraná.

The cause of the deadly collision was not immediately clear. Investigators are expected to examine the circumstances leading up to the crash, including the movements of both vehicles and the condition of the highway, as part of the inquiry.