The iron mass into which the two vehicles turned after the brutal head-on collision, in a picture taken by the group of volunteer rescuers Anjos Jacuipenses. Lucival Souza (EFE / Anjos Jacuipenses)
The Sunday beach trip of a group of residents of the Brazilian town of Jacobina in the state of Bahia ended in tragedy due to a very serious traffic accident. The head-on collision between the minibus in which the group was traveling and a truck loaded with mangoes claimed the lives of 25 people on Sunday evening, according to fire officials quoted by the newspaper Folha de S.Paulo. Six other passengers suffered injuries. It is one of the most serious traffic accidents in Brazil in recent years.
The collision occurred for reasons that are still under investigation. It is known that it occurred on a straight line where, according to preliminary information from the police at the scene of the accident, there were no visibility problems and it was not raining at the time.
Almost all the victims were from the same town (22 residents of Jacobina) and were women (17), including one pregnant woman. Four children were among the deceased. The other three dead were traveling in the Mango truck.
The group had spent the day on Guarajuba Beach, north of Salvador de Bahía, and was returning to Jacobina, 360 kilometers inland. The trips to the coast were organized by the daughter of a local transport operator and owner of the minibus. She is one of the victims.
The mayor of Jacobina, Tiago Dias, said: “It is one of the greatest tragedies of the municipality.” The victims will be buried in the municipal gymnasium.
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