(Reuters) - At least 26 people were killed in two road accidents in southern Brazil, where a truck ran over rescue workers tending to victims of a collision between a bus and a truck.
As many as 100 people were injured in the accidents near the town of Descanso in Santa Catarina state on Tuesday night, police said on Wednesday.
In the first crash, a bus with 40 passengers collided head-on with a truck and fell into a ravine by the highway, killing seven people.
Police and rescue workers blocked off the highway and a long line of vehicles formed in each direction. About an hour and a half later, a truck sped past the roadblock and ran over some of the rescuers and onlookers.
At least three firefighters, one police officer and a TV cameraman were killed.
"We suspect a failure in the truck's braking system," said Adriano Siamoncini , a spokesman for the Santa Catarina state Highway Police.
The driver of the second truck was hospitalized under police custody.