Seven killed as bus plunges off Brazil flyover

A BUS packed with passengers plunged more than 40ft from a flyover in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday, killing seven people – five men and two women – and injuring at least six.

Helicopter footage aired on Brazilian television showed emergency response teams evacuating the injured from the overturned bus as rush-hour traffic stood at a standstill on Avenida Brasil, the road that serves as the main entrance to Rio. Some of the injured were taken to hospital by helicopter.

The cause of the accident was not immediately known, but television news cited eyewitnesses as saying that a dispute between a passenger and the driver might have sparked the crash. Buses are the main mode of transport in Rio, with many operating with little regard for road safety and at high speed.

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