SAO PAULO — A minibus and a truck collided head-on in the southern Brazilian state of Parana, killing at least 23 people and injuring five others early Wednesday, police said.

Both vehicles were traveling in opposite directions, authorities said. Preliminary evidence suggests that the truck, which wasn’t carrying any cargo, crossed into incoming traffic and collided with the minibus at around 3:30 a.m., Brazil’s traffic police said.

The crash happened on a highway near Ipiranga, a city of 14,000 residents in central Parana state and 560 kilometers (350 miles) south of Sao Paulo.

The minibus passengers included healthcare workers, patients and a few family members, authorities said. The death toll included 21 adults and two children.

Emergency teams and local police were still working at the site hours later. Footage from TV Globo shows the truck parked on grass on the side of the road and the crushed minibus, with shattered glass and belongings of the passengers strewn on the ground.