Thirteen people died and six others were injured in a truck accident in the small town of Patos de Minas, in Minas Gerais state of southeast Brazil, local authorities said on Friday afternoon, Xinhua reported.
According to the authorities, the crash occurred earlier in the morning on the BR-365 federal road, and involved a van and a truck. The Federal Highway Police (PRF) said that the van crossed the lanes, colliding head-on with a heavy truck which came in the opposite direction.
According to the PRF, the vehicle was transporting tourists who had spent the New Year's holiday in Sao Paulo state, also in the southeastern region, to the northeastern Bahia state.
Twelve of the 13 dead were traveling in the van, which was overcrowded. According to the police, all died instantly. The truck's driver was taken to a local hospital, but later succumbed to injuries.
The accident caused a stretch of the BR-365 road to be closed to traffic for several hours. The police are investigating the cause of the accident.