Head-on collision between minibus and trailer leaves 23 dead on BR-373 in Paraná

A head-on collision between a minibus and a trailer on BR-373, in the Campos Gerais (PR) region, left at least 23 people dead and four injured.

The accident happened in the early hours of Wednesday (19), around 3:30 am, at kilometer 209 between the cities of Imbituva and Ponta Grossa, according to the Federal Highway Police (PRF).

The truck was heading from Ponta Grossa (PR) to Prudentópolis (PR). The bus, from Imbituva, was heading to hospitals in the Metropolitan Region of Curitiba, for medical care.

Of the 23 victims (21 adults and two children), 22 were in the minibus. The other death was that of the driver who was driving the truck.

The minibus was from the Imbituva Health Department, and the truck was from the city of Erechim, in Rio Grande do Sul.

At this moment, the scientific police are investigating the causes of the crash and there are SAMU and Fire Department vehicles at the scene.

According to information from the PRF, preliminary analyzes indicate that the truck had entered the opposite lane and collided head-on with the bus.

The five injured people were taken to a hospital in Ponta Grossa (PR).

Due to the accident, the track is completely closed and is not yet expected to be reopened.

At the time of publication of this text, there was congestion of five kilometers towards Ponta Grossa and 12 kilometers towards Prudentópolis.