Bus crash in Ceará, Brazil kills two and injures dozens of pilgrims

On the morning of 4 July 2026, a bus carrying pilgrims overturned on the CE‑456 highway near the community of Bom Jesus in the rural area of Canindé, Ceará. The vehicle had left Brejo Santo en route to the São Francisco das Chagas sanctuary in Canindé and left the road about 40 km from its destination, tumbling in an open field. Two people were killed at the scene and at least 21 others, including children, were injured. Victims were taken to the regional emergency unit and to Santa Casa de Canindé; several required surgery or transfer to tertiary hospitals.

Authorities have not yet determined the cause of the accident, and investigations are ongoing. The crash follows another fatal bus incident in Ceará less than a month earlier, when a bus carrying a basketball team overturned in Tauá on 15 June, killing seven and wounding more than 30.

The sanctuary’s officials expressed condolences and joined in prayer for the victims and their families.