More than 50 people have died after a tour bus plunged off a ridge into a wooded ravine in the mountains of southern Brazil . The death toll stands at 54 but could yet increase , the Brazilian government said , with at least 11 children among the dead . The bus fell 1,300ft after swerving off a bend in Santa Catarina state as night fell , with search teams struggling to reach the wreckage . Scroll down for video . Tragedy : More than 50 people have died after a tour bus plunged off a ridge into a wooded ravine in Brazil . The death toll stands at 54 but could yet increase , the Brazilian government said , with at least 11 children among the dead . Search and rescue : The bus fell 1,300ft after swerving off a bend in Santa Catarina state as night fell . Earlier today , when the death toll stood at 49 , local officials said 11 children and teenagers had died , as well as 24 women and 14 men . Since then five more bodies were found . More bodies could yet be discovered under the bus and in nearby woods , officials warned , as police officers and rescuers began efforts to move the wreckage . Just 11 passengers are thought to have survived the crash near the city of Joinville last night , of which 10 remain in hospital with severe injuries and one is in a stable condition . Highway and weather conditions at the time were good as the bus made its way from the neighbouring state of Parana , a police spokesman said . Although no immediate cause for the crash had been determined , police said it appeared the brakes on the bus had failed . A rescue helicopter was sent to the scene near Serra Dona Francisca - a popular tourist area - but could not land because of the difficult terrain , local reports said . Grim scene : More bodies could yet be found under the bus and in nearby woods , officials warned . Although no immediate cause for the crash had been determined , police said it appeared the brakes on the bus failed . Rescue workers are still trying to reach the wreckage at the crash site in Santa Catarina state ( coastline of Santa Catarina pictured ) Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff said : 'In this hour of pain and suffering , I want to extend my sympathies to the families and friends who lost their loved ones . ' Police Colonel Nelson Coelho said last night : 'There are people out there , on the hill , in the bus , trapped in the wreckage . But the chances of finding someone alive are pretty slim . ' Around 43,000 Brazilians are killed in car crashes every year , with the accident rate increasing 24 per cent from 2002-2012 .
Tour bus plunged off a cliff in popular tourist destination in southern Brazil . 1,300 children are among the 54 dead - and the death toll could yet rise . The bus swerved off road and fell Elevenft before crashing in a wooded area . Police say the brakes on the bus appeared to have failed before fatal crash .