At least 16 people have reportedly died after a passenger bus crashed on a tollway in Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia.
The bus was traveling shortly after midnight on Monday, Dec. 22, when it struck a highway guardrail and overturned onto its side at around 12:30 a.m. local time, according to the Associated Press and local outlets The Jakarta Post and Pos Kota. Officials said the bus was carrying 34 passengers and had departed from Jakarta, bound for Yogyakarta—roughly 360 miles away.
A search and rescue agency official, Budiono, said the vehicle was believed to be moving at a “fairly high” speed when it lost control. “The bus was speeding and is thought to have lost control, hitting the road divider and eventually overturning,” he said, per Pos Kota. He added that the force of the impact threw some passengers and left others trapped against the bus body, according to the Associated Press.
The Jakarta Post reported that 15 people were pronounced dead at the scene, with another victim later dying in hospital. Budiono said 18 others were taken to hospital for treatment, with five in critical condition and 13 suffering serious injuries, the Associated Press reported.
Central Java Police Chief Ribut Hari Wibowo said investigators are still working to determine the cause of the crash and are questioning an injured substitute driver, according to local reporting. The bus driver reportedly sustained serious injuries but has been able to communicate. Authorities plan to test him for illegal drugs, the Associated Press reported.
