RIO DE JANEIRO — A bus plunged off a cliff in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina on Saturday, killing more than 40 people, emergency response officials said.
The bus was carrying families going to an evangelical Christian event in Paraná State when the driver lost control late in the afternoon on a curve in a highway through the Dona Francisca mountain range, sending the vehicle over a cliff into a tree-lined area in the Atlantic Forest. As rescue crews worked into the night on Saturday to recover bodies, the police said the death toll could climb as high as 55, including children.
The episode reflects the hazards of Brazil’s roads, with the country ranking among the worst in the world in traffic-related deaths.
More than 40,000 people a year are estimated to die in traffic accidents in Brazil, according to the World Health Organization. The authorities have been trying reduce these fatalities with legislation cracking down on speeding and drunken driving, but many drivers still chafe at these measures.
The cause of the bus crash on Saturday in Santa Catarina, one of Brazil’s most prosperous states, was not immediately clear, but the curving highway through the mountains is known as a dangerous route.
Police squads and firefighters used helicopters on Saturday night in an effort to find victims from the accident. Local news organizations reported that several people had survived the crash, including several children.
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