Deadly bus crash kills 3 Brazilian footballers

MEXICO — A bus carrying a Brazilian soccer team overturned on a road south of Rio de Janeiro on Saturday, killing three people and injuring at least six, authorities said.

Local media reported that the three dead were players from the Coritiba Crocodiles American football team from the southern Brazilian city of Curitiba.

The team was scheduled to travel to Rio de Janeiro on Saturday, where it was to play in the U.S. national football championship. But the game was canceled following the fatal accident. Photos circulating on local news sites and social media showed the crashed bus lying on its side in the middle of the road.

“Our hearts are heavy with grief and we ask everyone to send their prayers and positive energy,” Coritiba Crocodiles said in a statement Saturday. “In the face of this tragedy, all our efforts are focused on supporting the team members and their loved ones.”

The injured were treated at a hospital and local authorities said they would investigate the cause of the accident.