Brazilian police say at least 23 killed in minibus and truck crash

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SAO PAULO (AP) — A minibus and a truck collided head-on in the southern Brazilian state of Parana, killing at least 23 people and injuring five others early Wednesday, police said.

Preliminary evidence suggests that the truck, which wasn’t carrying cargo, crossed into incoming traffic and collided with the minibus at around 3:30 a.m., Brazil’s traffic police said.

The crash happened on a highway near Ipiranga, a city of 14,000 residents in central Parana state and 560 kilometers (350 miles) south of Sao Paulo. The minibus came from Imbituva city in the same region. The truck's plate is from Erechim city further south in Rio Grande do Sul state.

It was the deadliest crash in the region since 2021, when 19 people died after a bus crashed outside Curitiba.

Local media said three of the five people injured were in serious condition. They were en route to hospitals, police said.

The minibus passengers included healthcare workers, patients and a few family members, authorities said. The company that runs the highway's toll booths said 13 women, eight men and two children had died.

Emergency teams and local police were still working at the site hours later. The road was blocked for seven hours.

Footage from TV Globo showed the truck on the side of the road and the crushed minibus, with shattered glass and passengers' belongings strewn on the ground.

Parana state Gov. Ratinho Júnior issued a decree for three days of mourning there.