RIO DE JANEIRO, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- At least 22 people were killed in a road accident in southeastern Brazil on Saturday, said the fire department.

The accident occurred early morning in the municipality of Teofilo Otoni in Brazil's state of Minas Gerais.

The driver lost control of a bus after its tire burst, and the bus collided head-on with a truck coming from the opposite direction, according to the authorities.

Moments later, a car traveling behind the bus crashed into it. The collision sparked a fire that engulfed the bus, firefighters said.

The number of the injured remains unknown. ■