In brief
In the early hours of Wednesday, a minibus carrying patients from Imbituva collided head‑on with a lorry on the BR‑373 highway, killing 23 people – including two children – and leaving five injured. The victim list includes the lorry’s driver, and the highway was shut for almost seven hours for investigations. The minibus belonged to the local health authorities and was headed to a health appointment 60 km away. Brazil records high fatal road‑traffic mortality, with factors such as speed, alcohol and mobile phone use often cited. Authorities are probing the exact cause of the crash.
In the early hours of Wednesday, a minibus transporting patients and relatives from Imbituva – a city in Paraná – collided head‑on with a lorry on the BR‑373 highway.
The accident left at least 23 people dead, including two children, and five others injured.
Police officials confirm that the lorry driver is among the victims, and the forensics team closed the highway for nearly seven hours to investigate.
The minibus was said to be operating under the health authorities of Imbituva, heading to a health appointment near Ponta Grossa about 60 km away.
Brazil regularly records high numbers of fatal road accidents, with the World Bank reporting over 34,000 deaths in 2023, mainly involving motorcyclists.
Authorities are probing the crash's cause, with speed, alcohol and mobile phone use commonly cited factors in such incidents.
