At least six people have died and another 11 were injured after a bus overturned Saturday on a highway in southwestern Colombia, according to the National Police. A police report states the driver may have nodded off in the driver's seat, causing the incident.
Videos shared on social media showed emergency personnel assisting injured passengers and people crying next to the overturned bus on the Garzon–Neiva highway. The bus, which was headed to the capital, Bogota, was later removed from the road and traffic was restored.
Police Investigate Cause of Crash
The police report states authorities were still trying to determine the exact circumstances under which the bus overturned in the department of Huila, but they believe the driver may have experienced an episode of “microsleep” — falling asleep for a few seconds.
A statement from the Huila Traffic and Transportation Police said that the driver "lost control" of the bus, seemingly due to a "microsleep, resulting in the bus overturning onto its left side".
Officials Urge Adequate Rest for Drivers
Col. Edwin Correa, director of the police’s traffic and transportation division, stated in the report that drivers must ensure they have had "adequate rest before beginning a journey."
No victims of the horror crash have yet been identified. The bus had departed from the community of San Vicente in Colombia’s southern department of Caqueta.
Regarding the cause of the crash, Ariel Perdomo, manager of Cootranscaquetá, told El Tiempo: "It’s difficult to speculate, so we’re limiting ourselves to what the police tell us about this traffic accident."
