The accident happened on Friday morning (4) on a state highway in Rio Grande do Sul.
A tragic accident involving a bus from the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM) left seven dead and at least 22 injured on Friday morning (4), on the RSC-453, in the municipality of Imigrante, in the interior of Rio Grande do Sul.
The vehicle was carrying more than 30 people, including students and faculty from the Polytechnic College’s Landscaping program, who were on their way to a technical visit to the Horst cactus orchard, the largest in Latin America. The death toll was confirmed by Caroline Hauschild, the city’s volunteer fire chief.
Seven deaths confirmed
According to the Military Brigade’s Highway Command, the accident occurred around 11:15 a.m. The bus was traveling in the direction of Teutônia–Imigrante when it lost control, left the road on the left side, lost its brakes and ended up overturning into a ravine.
The fatalities were six women and one man, and have not yet been identified. The Civil Police will investigate the cause of the accident. Rescue teams were quickly mobilized. Ouro Branco Hospital in Teutônia received 17 injured people, five of whom are in serious condition and two will be transferred to Bruno Born Hospital in Lajeado.
Six other injured people, three men and three women, were taken to Estrela Hospital. The highway remains closed in both directions to allow for treatment of the victims and the removal of the crashed vehicle.
Governor of RS speaks out
In a statement on social media, Governor Eduardo Leite deeply regretted the tragedy and expressed his condolences to the victims. He stated that the state is in mourning and will continue to closely monitor developments in the case.
The Santa Maria City Hall issued an official statement expressing its condolences and announcing that teams would be sent to the UFSM campus to assist family members seeking information. The Federal University of Santa Maria declared three days of official mourning and suspended all academic and administrative activities this Friday and Saturday (5).
