23 killed in Brazil bus crash

Rio de Janeiro, May 19 (IANS) At least 23 people were killed and 18 injured, most of them seriously, when their bus overturned Sunday in Brazil's Ceara state, police said.

The bus carrying 41 people departed from Boa Viagem municipality at 7 a.m. for the state capital Fortaleza, where it was scheduled to reach at 11.20 a.m. But it overturned while trying to avoid hitting a motorcycle which was in front of it, Xinhua quoted police as saying.

The accident occurred in the municipality of Caninde, about 120 km from Fortaleza, capital city of Ceara.

There were 39 passengers onboard besides the driver and another employee of the bus company. The injured were taken to hospitals, initial police investigation found.