In brief
In early Wednesday morning on the BR-373 in Paraná, a minibus carrying patients collided head‑on with a lorry. The incident left at least 23 dead, with five injured, and prompted investigations into the cause. The highway closed for almost seven hours while forensic work was done. Traffic safety experts cite speeding, drink driving and cellphone use as key risks in Brazil’s high fatality toll.
At least 23 people, including two children, have been killed and five injured in a head‑on collision between a minibus and a lorry on the BR‑373 highway in Paraná, southern Brazil.
The crash occurred in the early hours of Wednesday local time, just after midnight.
Local media reported that the minibus belonged to the health authorities of Imbituva and was transporting patients and their relatives to an appointment in Ponta Grossa, about 60km away.
Investigators have opened a probe to determine what caused the vehicles to strike each other. The driver of the lorry was among the deceased.
The highway was closed for almost seven hours while forensic teams examined the wreck at kilometre 209.
Road‑traffic accidents remain a major problem in Brazil. A 2023 World Bank study recorded 34,000 deaths, many of them from motorcyclists. Common culprits include excessive speed, drunk driving and talking on the phone while behind the wheel.
Earlier this year, 15 people died on a pilgrim bus in Ceará.
