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A violent head-on collision on a dangerous stretch of highway in northern Minas Gerais has left nine people dead and several others injured.
The crash happened around 9:30 p.m. on May 13, 2025, near kilometer 446 of BR-251, close to Barrocão in Grão Mogol. A passenger van carrying workers returning to Ceará collided with an empty heavy-haul truck traveling south.
The impact was so powerful that both vehicles were thrown off the road, making the rescue operation extremely difficult.
Seventeen people were inside the van. Nine, including eight adults and one child, died at the scene. At least eight others were injured and taken to hospitals in the region. Among them were an 8-year-old child reported to be stable and a 27-year-old man in critical condition.
The truck’s driver and passenger suffered minor injuries and were released after treatment.
Firefighters, SAMU, police and forensic teams worked through the night, using specialized equipment to free victims trapped inside the wreckage. BR-251 was closed in both directions for approximately six hours.
Investigators examined tire marks, debris, impact points and road conditions. Rain was reported around the time of the collision, while the highway’s curves, elevation changes and limited shoulders may also be examined.
Authorities had not reached a final conclusion about the cause.
The tragedy has renewed attention on BR-251, a route widely regarded as one of the most dangerous in Minas Gerais. Locals have even given it the grim nickname “road of death.”
For the families who lost loved ones, however, the statistics mean little compared with the devastating reality of a single night that changed everything.
