At least 32 die in bus accident in southeastern Brazil

SAO PAULO: At least thirty two people were killed in a bus crash in southeastern Brazil on Saturday, officials said, adding that the death toll could still rise.

The accident in Minas Gerais state involving a bus that was travelling from Sao Paulo left "between 32 and 35" people dead, a spokeswoman for the local fire department told AFP by phone.

"It was not yet possible to specify the exact number due to the state of the bodies," she added.

Officials gave conflicting accounts of the events.

Firefighters initially said the bus had blown a tire near the town of Lajinha, causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle and hit a truck. Another vehicle also hit the bus from behind, officials said, but its occupants survived.

However, firefighters later cited witnesses as saying that a granite block had collapsed on the bus in an apparent landslide, which may have caused the vehicle to collide with the truck and catch fire.

Thirteen people survived and sought medical help.

"After hours of work, firefighters managed to extinguish the flames and have removed 22 charred bodies of victims who were trapped" inside, the fire department said in a statement earlier Saturday, as authorities warned that the number could rise.

In a video released Saturday morning, Lieutenant Alonso Vieira Junior, with the Minas Gerais fire department, said a crane would be needed to clear the wreckage, and that "there are still more victims to be removed."