A baby and three other children were among the 10 family members who died after a car plunged into a lake. The horrifying incident saw four women, two men, a baby, two boys and a girl all drown after the car went off the road and into the water. Alarm was raised by a passer-by who spotted the overturned vehicle, almost completely submerged in the water.
Emergency crews rushed to the scene of the incident in Barra Mansa in Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, but they were unable to save any of the people trapped inside. Distressing photographs show the car upside down in the water, with only the wheels and part of its underside visible above the surface.
Specialist drivers were deployed to recover the 10 bodies from the wreckage. It is believed that the victims were from the municipality of Volta Redonda, with local reports suggesting the family included a couple, their children, grandchildren and a niece.
Police are investigating the cause of the crash, as it remains unclear how the vehicle ended up in the water. A son of the couple has also reportedly launched a fundraiser to help cover funeral costs.
It comes shortly after another tragic incident involving the death of another family in Brazil. A car crash saw 16 relatives killed when their van was struck by another whilst they travelled home from a birthday celebration on May 31.
Among those killed were van driver Manuel Oliveira dos Santos, 52, his wife, Jirlene Ribeiro de Oliveira Santos, 47, and their 24-year-old daughter, Caroline Oliveira dos Santos.
Nicole Guimaraes de Castro, 37, her nine-year-old daughter, Maria Rita Guimaraes Estevao dos Santos, and Nicole’s mother-in-law, Barbara Maria Estevao dos Santos, also lost their lives.
Four other people were injured in the collision, including the 25-year-old truck driver, who was placed under police guard while receiving treatment in hospital.
He is reportedly facing manslaughter charges after investigators suspected he had crossed into the opposite lane shortly before the fatal crash.
Following the tragedy, Bahia governor Jeronimo Rodrigues declared three days of mourning.
He said: “I received with sadness the news of the accident that occurred on the BR-116. We are monitoring the situation and providing all necessary support to the victims and their families at this time. May God comfort the hearts of all.”
