The governor declared three days of mourning and survivors, including a seriously injured child, were taken to hospital.

A bus returning from a religious festival in northeastern Brazil stray from the road Officials said the accident killed at least 16 people, including four children.

The bus carrying about 60 people overturned in the rural interior of Alagoas state on Tuesday, with some passengers rescued and others trapped under the wreckage.

The Alagoas regional government said in a statement that seven women, five men and four children were among the victims. The accident remains under investigation and has been described as “highly complex”.

Brazilian media reported that the bus was returning from the celebrations of Our Lady of Candelaria, a religious festival in Ceará state that attracts thousands of devotees every February 2.

“The bus ran off the road on a curve and overturned, and some people were thrown out,” said Colonel Andre Madillo, director of the Alagoas Aviation Department, who was involved in the rescue operation.

“Some people were trapped under the car. This was a very serious accident, even an atypical accident,” he told a news conference.

Pictures of the accident scene posted on the X social media platform showed a severely damaged bus lying on its side, with injured passengers sitting nearby waiting for help.

Survivors of the accident, including a seriously injured child, were taken to hospital and are still receiving treatment.

“I express my solidarity with the family and friends at this time of great pain,” Gov. Paul Dantas wrote on social media, saying the state would observe three days of mourning.

Fatal road accidents are common in Brazil.

In October, a bus driver lost control of his bus in the northeastern state of Pernambuco, killing 17 people.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Transport, more than 10,000 people died in traffic accidents in Brazil in 2024. In December 2024, a passenger car collided with a truck on a highway in southeastern Brazil, killing at least 32 people. Minas Gerais.

Also in 2024, a bus carrying a football team flipped on the road, killing three people.