A family of 10 was killed and 43 passengers were injured when the bus they were traveling in crashed on a highway in the southeastern Brazilian city of Itapetininga.
São Paulo police said the bus was on the Francisco da Silva Pontes highway early Friday morning when the driver, whose name has not been released, lost control and locked the steering wheel.
The driver was unable to slow the bus down before it crashed into a pillar under an overpass.
He was scheduled to be questioned on Friday, but told detectives the bus had a mechanical problem.
The fire brigade had to rescue 15 passengers from the destroyed bus.
Ten family members were killed when the bus they were traveling in crashed Friday on a highway in Itapetininga, a city in the southeastern Brazilian state of São Paulo
The bus driver, who was injured, told authorities that the steering wheel locked on him and he was unable to regain control of the bus before it crashed into a concrete pillar under a highway overpass in the southeastern Brazilian city of Itapetininga on Friday. The crash killed 10 people and injured 43.
The owner of the bus, Onix Turismo, told Brazilian news outlet G1 that the passengers knew each other and had chartered the bus for their annual trip to Aparecida de Goiânia, a city in the central state of Goiás.
The victims were identified as Moacir Moraes, 73; his two sons, Gilmar Moraes, 48, and Gilberto Moraes, 42; Gilberto’s wife, Vanessa Souza, 37, and their six-year-old son, Tiago Moraes; Valdira Morais, 48; José Bento and his wife, Edna Carvalho; Iolanda de Oliveira; and Jessiele Rodrigues.
Moacir Moraes has been organizing the annual Catholic church trip for 40 years, his sister Iracema Santos told Brazilian news outlet Istoe Dinheiro.
“He was a leader around here,” she said.
‘Nobody knows for sure how the accident happened. I have traveled with my brother’s group before, but because more and more people wanted to go, I started organizing another group. We made the trip to Aparecida in June and everything went well.’
Among the injured was Santos’ niece, Camila de Moraes, along with her parents.
“It happened so fast, the sound of the crash, such a commotion. I can’t even talk about it,” de Moraes said. “My parents are in the hospital.”
Edna Proença told TV TEM that the passenger bus came to a complete stop after it crashed into the pillar in the middle of the road. Her three children and granddaughter were injured
Edna Proença was on the bus with her family when she felt the vehicle hit the concrete structure in the middle of the highway. Her three children and granddaughter needed medical attention.
“It all happened so fast. The bus hit the pillar and stopped,” Proença told G1 affiliate TV TEM. “I can’t even understand what happened. I just felt the bus shaking and my granddaughters were all screaming.”
The victims are all residents of the city of Ribeirão Branco in western São Paulo.
“Our condolences go out to the families of the pilgrims from the Palmeirinha neighborhood and everyone involved in this difficult time,” the mayor’s office said in a statement.
“We have cancelled all official activities to support the families and have declared three days of official mourning in solidarity with the community of Ribeirão Branco. May they find solace and support to overcome this immense pain.”