See what is known about the tragedy that killed Corinthians fans

Seven Corinthians fans died in a traffic accident involving a bus early this Sunday, the 20th. The vehicle was transporting fans of the club, who were returning from a trip to Belo Horizonte, where they went to follow the match between Corinthians and Cruzeiro, on Saturday night , 19, in Mineirão.

The rollover occurred between the mining towns of Brumadinho and Igarapé – in the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte. Dozens of passengers received care at health centers in Minas Gerais. Initially, the Fire Department reported that eight people had died. The information was corrected and the number of fatalities dropped to seven.

According to the National Land Transport Agency (ANTT), the trip was irregular, since the bus was not registered or authorized by the agency responsible for overseeing the sector.

See below for what is known about the accident so far.

How many passengers did the bus carry?

According to a statement from the concessionaire responsible for the route, Arteris, the bus was carrying 43 people. Corinthians and Cruzeiro face each other on Saturday night, 19, at Mineirão. According to the club, the vehicle brought fans from the cities of Taubaté, São José dos Campos, Jacareí, Pindamonhangaba and Caçapava back to São Paulo. They had rented a bus to go to Belo Horizonte to support the team.

What is the health status of the survivors?

So far, among the 43 people on the bus, 9 refused medical attention and 27 were taken by rescue units from the Fire Department, Arteris and the Military Police.

According to the Minas Gerais Fire Department, they also reported that the victims were referred to the Betim Regional Hospital, the Oliveira Emergency Care Unit, and the João XXIII Hospital, in Belo Horizonte. Two victims went to the Hospital Municipal de Contagem, but were transferred to Betim.

Betim City Hall reported that 17 victims were referred to the Regional Public Hospital. Of these, five were discharged and one, who had a mild condition, chose to leave the unit. One of the patients is in serious condition and the others are stable.

Another seven victims were sent to the North Emergency Unit (UPA). Among them, six have already been discharged. One was transferred earlier this afternoon to the Regional Hospital for additional tests. Her health condition remains stable.

The other victim who had been sent to UPA Teresópolis was also transferred this afternoon to the Regional Hospital to undergo additional tests. This patient’s health condition is also stable. Detailed information on the health status of patients is being passed on directly to family members, informed the City Hall.

How did the overturning of the bus with Corinthians fans happen?

The bus would have entered a curve, collided with the slope (inclination on the side surface to promote terrain stability) and, subsequently, overturned.

Reports published on social media show that the bus lost its brakes moments before the accident. According to the testimonies, when noticing the absence of the brake, the driver swerved from another vehicle – a truck or a bus, reports differ – and ended up directing the bus to a ravine.

Where was the accident?

The bus had an accident on the Fernão Dias Highway (BR-381), at km 525.4, in the city of Brumadinho, in Minas Gerais. The vehicle was returning from Belo Horizonte, where Corinthians faced Cruzeiro on Saturday night, the 19th.

The stretch of Fernão Dias where the accident happened is considered risky by the Federal Highway Police (PRF). Around 74 accidents occur per year between kms 520 and 530 of the highway, according to data from the PRF public database, tabulated by the Estadão. The report observed the evolution of accidents on the stretch between 2020 and 2023. In the case of this year, the table presents information until the end of July.

According to the survey, in this period of almost four years, 334 vehicles, with 527 people, were involved in accidents between km 520 and 530. Of this total, 18 died and 264 were injured.