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

Overview

• Federal highway police confirmed 11 fatalities, all from the bus, including its driver, and said ten people were rescued alive.
• Part of the truck’s sand load poured into the bus, burying passengers and complicating extrication, with some survivors trapped for up to five hours.
• The collision occurred around 11:20–11:24 a.m. at km 491; the bus had departed Pelotas at 10:30 a.m. bound for São Lourenço do Sul.
• The truck driver sustained minor injuries, received hospital care in Pelotas, and tested negative for alcohol on a breathalyzer.
• BR-116 was blocked in both directions for hours, causing long backups, as emergency teams worked the scene and authorities continued victim accounting.