The Minas Gerais Fire Department, which responded to the scene, said 13 others were taken to a hospital near the city of Teofilo Otoni. It is said that the bus was carrying 45 passengers from Sao Paulo.
Officials said Saturday afternoon that all victims had been removed from the scene and that an investigation would determine the cause of the crash. Eyewitnesses told the rescue team that the tire of the bus burst, due to which the driver lost control and collided with the truck. Others said the granite block hit the bus, the fire department added.
A car carrying three passengers also collided with the bus, but all three managed to survive.
Governor Romeu Zema wrote in X that he ordered the Minas Gerais government to “fully mobilize” to help the victims.
“We are working to ensure that the families of the victims are supported in the most humane way possible to deal with this tragedy, especially as it comes just before Christmas,” Jemaa said.
According to the Ministry of Transport, more than 10,000 people died in traffic accidents in Brazil in 2024.
In September, three people were killed when a bus carrying the soccer team overturned on the road. The Curitiba Crocodiles, a team from the southern Brazilian city of Curitiba, traveled to Rio de Janeiro to play in the country’s American Football Championship. The match was canceled after the accident.