A bus plunged off a cliff in southern Brazil on Saturday, The New York Times reports, killing more than 40 people. The death toll could rise as high as 55, including children, police said.

According to the Times, the bus was transporting families through the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina to an evangelical Christian event in Paraná when the driver lost control in the Dona Francisco mountain range.

The World Health Organization reports that more than 40,000 people a year die in traffic accidents in Brazil—one of the highest rates of traffic deaths in the world.

Several people, including some children, reportedly survived this weekend's crash into the Atlantic forest.

[Photo credit: AP Images]