By Andrew Willis, Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANERIO, BRAZIL – Five accidents involving public buses took place across Rio de Janeiro city and the wider area on Wednesday (October 24). One person was killed and at least 58 others were injured, fueling frustration with Rio’s congested and often dangerous roads.
On Rua Vinte de Abril in downtown Centro Rio, a bus collided with a post and subsequently ricocheted into a car, throwing it onto the sidewalk where it hit several pedestrians. One person was killed and three others injured.
In Praça Tiradentes, a number 361 bus (Carioca – Recreio) broke a red traffic light and collided with a number 125 bus (Central – General Osório), overturning on the road around 6AM. Roughly thirty people suffered mild injuries.
Around 9AM in Curicica, in the city’s Zona Oeste (West Zone), two other buses crashed on the Estrada dos Bandeirantes. Ten people suffered mild injuries and were taken to the Lourenço Jorge municipal hospital in Barra da Tijuca.
In Niterói, two buses collided on the Avenida Feliciano Sodré, around 10AM. At least fifteen people were injured and taken to the Azevedo Lima hospital. Other victims were attended to on site.
Unconfirmed information suggests the driver of one of the buses was trapped in the wreckage and had to be rescued by fire services, reports the local O Globo newspaper. As a result of the accident, two one-way lanes heading towards the city center were blocked for roughly two hours.
During the early evening, another accident involving a bus and a taxi took place on the Avenida Rodrigues Alves in the city’s port zone.
The city is working to expand its underground Metro system, as well as manage the passenger vans, all part of public transportation system bursting at the seems.
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