Number of fatalities rises to 11 in crash between bus and trailer on BR-116 By Beatriz
3 min read
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The head-on collision between a bus from company Santa Silvana and a trailer loaded with sand occurred on the morning of January 2, 2026, at kilometer 491 of BR-116, at
The number of deaths rose to 11, according to an update from Polícia Rodoviária Federal (PRF) in the late afternoon.
The bus had left Pelotas at 10:30 am heading to São Lourenço from Sul, initially transporting 19 passengers, as well as a driver and conductor, with the possibility of additional boarding along the route.
Rescue teams faced difficulties due to the load of sand that invaded the interior of the bus after the impact.
Occurrence details
The crash took place near the bridge over the Corrientes stream, on a section that operated with a single lane due to nearby works.
The truck was traveling in the opposite direction and, according to preliminary hypotheses from the PRF, it may have entered the wrong lane when trying to avoid a traffic jam caused by a stopped vehicle.
The driver of the truck was subjected to a breathalyzer test, which showed a negative result.
He was one of the victims taken to hospital with injuries.
- The bus driver and conductor are among the confirmed deaths.
- All of the fatal victims were occupants of the collective.
- Five passengers exited the vehicle without serious injuries.
- The rescue took more than five hours due to the sand that buried survivors.
Assistance to victims
Eleven people were rescued alive and taken to Hospital of Pronto Socorro of Pelotas.
Some had serious injuries, while others had minor injuries.
Teams from Samu, Ecovias Sul and Corpo from Bombeiros worked at the site to remove hardware and clean the runway.
Relatives of passengers awaited information at the hospital throughout the day.
Conditions of the road section
The accident site is part of a duplicated segment of BR-116, but it operated on a single lane due to work on the Corrientes stream bridge.
Stop and go signs were in place at the time of the collision.
The highway remained completely blocked in both directions during the afternoon, causing traffic jams of up to eight kilometers.
Drivers were advised to look for alternative routes, such as RS-265.
Investigation underway
The PRF conducts forensic work to determine the exact causes of the collision.
The Instituto-General of Perícias assists in identifying the victims and analyzing the vehicles involved.
Concessionaire Ecovias Sul monitors the stretch and provides support to rescue operations.
There is no immediate forecast for the full release of the track.
Traffic consequences
The blockage affected the flow between Porto Alegre and the southern interior of the state.
Queues formed in both directions, initially three kilometers in the south and five in the north.
Winch teams removed the vehicles to allow partial resumption of traffic.
Authorities recommend caution in sections of BR-116 with construction.
Extended rescue
The scattered load of sand complicated access for the bus’s occupants.
Survivors were trapped for hours until complete evacuation.
The last injured victim was removed in the early afternoon.
The bus was positioned close to a bank, requiring extra care in operations.
