SAO PAULO, April 12, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - A bus ran off a highway in northeastern Brazil and overturned Thursday, killing at least nine people and injuring over 20 more, authorities said.

The bus was traveling from Rio de Janeiro in the southeast to the tourist town of Porto Seguro in Bahia state when it ran off the road around 4:00 am (0700 GMT), said the Federal Highway Police (PRF).

There were 34 people on board.

Authorities did not release details on the condition of those injured or the victims' nationalities, but said the two bus drivers were unharmed.

One of the injured later died in a nearby hospital, the mayor's office of Teixeira de Freitas, the town where the accident occurred, said on its website.

Brazilian media broadcast images of the blue and white bus lying on its side along the BR-101 highway.

Bus accidents are frequent in Brazil, which is the world's fifth-biggest country by surface area and relies heavily on road transportation.