Bus Crash Kills 18 Students

06/10/2016 - 11h12

A bus carrying a group of students across the state of São Paulo lost control and crashed on Wednesday evening (8). The vehicle was knocked off-kilter after colliding with a car in front. It swerved onto the wrong side of the road, crashed headfirst into a rock, flipped over and skidded upside-down along the floor for a few metres.

The accident occurred on the motorway between Mogi and Bertioga, which links Greater São Paulo to the nearby coast. The death toll was 18, and 17 more were injured. There were 35 people in the vehicle. 17 students aged between 18 and 43 died, along with the driver of the vehicle, Antonio Carlos da Silva, aged 37.

The students were from São Sebastião, a town on the North coast of the state of São Paulo. They were making a regular journey of about 120km between São Sebastião and the university town Mogi das Cruzes. The city is home to an old and prestigious university which attracts many students from the coast as well as from central São Paulo.

The bus, owned by the company União do Litoral, was totally destroyed. The vehicle was one of six rented by the Municipality of São Sebastião to ferry students to and from university. The bus company and officials from the town hall have confirmed the vehicle's documents were all in perfect order.

The tragedy shocked neighbours and fellow students, who cancelled classes in homage to their peers.

Parents and friends of the victims criticised the driver and the quality of the rented bus.

The stretch of road where the accident took place is notoriously dangerous. At least four other buses have crashed in this spot since 2006, leaving a total of 54 injured and four dead.

Translated by GILLIAN SOPHIE HARRIS

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	Danilo Verpa/Folhapress
	A bus carrying a group of students across the state of São Paulo lost control and crashed on Wednesday evening (8)