Brazil bus crash kills at least eight near Rio

A bus overturned early Sunday in a steep, mountainous area near Petropolis, north of Rio de Janeiro, killing at least eight people, the Rio de Janeiro fire department said.

The fire department said firefighters had to excavate to reach and remove some passengers. It said 49 victims were recorded at the scene, including eight who were dead.

Local media reported that two more victims died after being transported from the scene and said the dead included nine women and a young girl.

Deadly road accidents are frequent in Brazil. In February, a bus returning from a religious festival in northeast Brazil veered off the road and overturned, killing at least 16 people. In October last year, 17 people died in Pernambuco state when a driver lost control of a bus.