Bus Accident Kills at Least 16 Pilgrims in North-East Brazil

By : Mweru Mbugua 

At least 16 people, including four children, were killed on Tuesday after a bus returning from a religious festival veered off the road and overturned in north-east Brazil, officials said

The bus was carrying about 60 passengers when it lost control on a curve in a rural area of Alagoas state. Several passengers were ejected from the vehicle, while others were trapped underneath the wreckage, complicating rescue efforts

In a statement, the Alagoas regional government confirmed that the victims included seven women, five men and four children. Authorities described the crash as “highly complex” and said investigations were ongoing to determine the cause

Local media reported that the bus had been returning from celebrations marking Our Lady of Candelaria, a major religious festival held every February 2 in the state of Ceara, which attracts thousands of devotees

“The bus went off the road on a curve, overturned, and some people were thrown out,” said Colonel Andre Madeiro, director of the Alagoas Aviation Department, which assisted in the rescue operation. “Some were trapped under the vehicle. It was a very bad accident, even atypical,” he told a press conference

 Also read : Kenya, UK Sign MoU to Strengthen Border Security Cooperation

Survivors, including a child who sustained serious injuries, were rushed to nearby hospitals, where they remain under medical care

Alagoas Governor Paulo Dantas declared three days of mourning following the tragedy. “I express my solidarity with the families and friends at this time of such great pain,” he wrote on X

Deadly road accidents are common in Brazil. In October last year, 17 people were killed in a similar bus crash in the north-eastern state of Pernambuco after a driver lost control of the vehicle