Experts confirm 17 deaths in bus accident in Pernambuco and release 12 bodies
Families have already removed 12 victims for burial; investigation uncovers irregularities in passenger lists
247 - Twelve of the 17 fatal victims of the bus accident that occurred on Friday night (17) in the interior of Pernambuco have already been released to their families to carry out the burials. The tragedy took place on BR-423, between the municipalities of Paranatama and Saloá, in the region known as Serra dos Ventos, when the vehicle that was traveling from Santa Cruz do Capibaribe (PE) to Brumado (BA) overturned after losing control.
According to Folha de S. PaulIn addition to the 17 dead, another 17 people were injured. The Federal Highway Police reported that the driver had crossed into the oncoming lane and collided with rocks on the side of the road. Although he managed to return to the lane, the bus hit a sand embankment and ended up overturning.
Identification of victims
The Pernambuco State Secretariat of Social Defense confirmed that all 17 bodies were identified at the Institute of Legal Medicine (IML) in Recife through fingerprint analysis. In most cases, identification was possible thanks to documents found with the victims. However, for some bodies, support from identification institutes in Bahia and Minas Gerais, the states of origin of several passengers, was necessary.
So far, 12 bodies have been released and sent to cities in Bahia and Minas Gerais, where wakes and burials are taking place. The other five remain at the Forensic Medical Institute awaiting collection by their families.
Passengers and goods
The bus departed from Brumado bound for Santa Cruz do Capibaribe, a clothing manufacturing hub in Pernambuco. The city is one of the largest distribution and sales centers for the sector in the Northeast, bringing together more than 10 points of sale in the Moda Center, which on market days attracts around 150 customers.
According to authorities, the vehicle's trunk was full of goods purchased by the passengers during the trip. This circumstance, combined with the number of people on board, became a central point of the investigation.
Inconsistencies in passenger lists
The Pernambuco state government reported that three different passenger lists were found, none of which reflected the actual number of occupants. It is estimated that around 40 people were on the bus, a higher number than recorded in the documents, but still within the vehicle's capacity of up to 50 seats.
