Jakarta: A devastating passenger bus accident on Indonesia's Java island claimed the lives of at least 16 people shortly after midnight Monday, according to local emergency officials.

Fatal Collision on Toll Road

The inter-city vehicle, which was transporting 34 occupants, reportedly veered out of control on a toll road before slamming into a concrete divider and flipping onto its side. Budiono, the regional search and rescue agency chief, stated that the bus was en route from Jakarta to the historic city of Yogyakarta when the crash occurred at a curved exit ramp on the Krapyak tollway in Semarang.

“The forceful impact threw several passengers and left them trapped against the bus body,” Budiono said.

Rescue and Casualty Toll

Emergency responders reached the site approximately 40 minutes after the crash. Officials confirmed that six passengers were found dead at the scene. An additional 10 individuals succumbed to their injuries while being transported to medical facilities or during emergency treatment.

Currently, 18 survivors are receiving care at two local hospitals. Budiono noted that the condition of the injured remains grave, with five people listed in critical condition and 13 others in serious condition.

Broadcast footage from the scene showed the yellow bus resting on its side, with police and National Search and Rescue Agency teams working amid a fleet of ambulances to clear the wreckage and evacuate the victims.

With inputs from AP