At least six people have been killed and 11 injured after a bus overturned on a road in southwestern Colombia, the National Police said. The incident occurred on the road between Garzón and Neiva, in the department of Huila.
The bus was traveling to Bogotá after departing from the community of San Vicente in the southern department of Caquetá. Following the crash, traffic police officers, firefighters and road concession employees were sent to the scene. The injured were taken for treatment to hospitals in the nearby city of Neiva. The bus was later removed, and traffic on the road was restored.
Possible microsleep being investigated
The exact cause of the rollover is still being investigated. According to a police report seen by the Associated Press, the driver may have briefly fallen asleep at the wheel. Such a brief episode of falling asleep is referred to as a “microsleep.”
Police have not released the names of those killed. The investigation must determine whether driver fatigue contributed to the incident and exactly how the bus went out of control.
Discrepancies in reports on the death toll
Reports on the consequences of the crash differ. El Espectador reports that seven people were killed and more than 15 injured, stating that the bus was carrying 37 people and was traveling on the Florencia–Bogotá route.
Xinhua News Agency, cited by the Malaysian newspaper The Star, reports that eight people were killed and 20 injured. The report says that authorities are still confirming the final death toll and identifying the victims.
At this point, the information confirmed by the National Police and cited by the Associated Press is that at least six people were killed and 11 injured. Authorities are expected to clarify the final number of victims and injured people.
Sources: apnews.com, elespectador.com, thestar.com.my