At least nine people were killed early Saturday in Brazil's southern Parana state following a head-on collision between a tour bus and a car, highway police said, Xinhua reported.
The accident occurred around dawn when the car reportedly tried to pass a vehicle at a point in the road where passing was prohibited, and collided into the oncoming bus.
According to the authorities, the bus was carrying 30 patients who were returning to the city of Realeza after undergoing medical tests in the state capital Curitiba.
Preliminary reports said seven of the bus passengers were among the dead, while the other two fatal victims were in the car that crashed.