At least seven people died and 27 others were hospitalised in southeastern Brazil when a driver lost control of a bus carrying football fans on a mountainous road, fire officials said.

The accident occurred on a highway near Belo Horizonte in Minas Gerais state, they said.

Passengers interviewed by the G1 news website said the driver cried out that he had no brakes shortly before losing control.

More than 40 fans of the Corinthians football club of Sao Paulo were on the bus, returning from a match the night before in Belo Horizonte.

Unregistered bus

Fernando Frois, a lieutenant with the Minas Gerais firefighters, reported the casualty toll but did not say what condition those hospitalised were in.

The country's National Agency of Land Transportation (ANTT) said in a statement that the bus was unregistered and lacked authorisation to transport passengers between states.

Clubs from across Brazil, as well as the Brazilian Football Confederation, sent their condolences to the families and friends of the victims.