Head-On Crash on BR-116 Near Pelotas Kills 11

Overview

• Federal highway police confirmed 11 fatalities, all of them bus occupants including the driver.
• A truck carrying sand failed to stop in traffic, moved into oncoming lanes, and struck the intercity bus head-on at km 491.
• Sand spilled into the bus and complicated rescues, with ten people pulled out alive after difficult extrication.
• The truck driver sustained minor injuries and a breathalyzer test detected no alcohol.
• BR-116 stayed blocked in both directions with long queues reported, as the bus and truck remained at the scene during the response.