At least 23 people were killed and five others injured when a minibus and a truck collided head-on in the southern Brazilian state of Parana, police said. The accident occurred early Wednesday on a highway near Ipiranga, a city of 14,000 residents in central Parana, about 560 kilometers (350 miles) south of Sao Paulo.
According to Brazil's traffic police, preliminary evidence suggests the truck, which was not carrying any cargo, crossed into oncoming traffic and collided with the minibus at around 3:30 a.m. The minibus was carrying healthcare workers, patients, and a few family members. The death toll included 21 adults and two children.
Emergency teams and local police worked at the scene for hours. Footage from TV Globo showed the truck parked on grass on the side of the road, and the crushed minibus with shattered glass and passengers' belongings strewn on the ground.