- By Shivangi Sharma
- Mon, 22 Dec 2025 11:01 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
At least 16 people were killed and several others injured after an inter-province passenger bus lost control and crashed on a toll road in Indonesia’s Java island on Monday, December 22. The bus was travelling from Jakarta to the historic city of Yogyakarta when it struck a concrete barrier and overturned at a bend on the Krapyak tollway in Central Java’s Semarang city. The bus was carrying 34 passengers at the time of the accident.
Eyewitnesses said the impact was so severe that the bus overturned completely on the road, shattering windows and twisting large sections of metal. Chaos ensued immediately after the crash, with passengers screaming for help. Several people were trapped inside the mangled vehicle, making rescue efforts difficult in the initial moments.
Local residents and passing motorists rushed to the scene, but the bus was in such a badly damaged condition that it was impossible to reach those trapped inside without specialised rescue equipment.
Difficult Rescue Operation
According to the Associated Press, police and rescue teams arrived about 40 minutes after the accident and launched a search and rescue operation. Budiono, head of the Semarang Search and Rescue Office, said the operation was extremely challenging.
“The bus was badly damaged, and we had to create an access path using heavy machinery to reach the victims,” he said. Rescue personnel had to navigate broken glass and twisted metal, forcing them to proceed with extreme caution. It took several hours to extract all the injured passengers and recover the bodies of those killed.
Victims Taken To Hospitals
Officials later confirmed that all victims had been successfully evacuated and transported to nearby hospitals. According to China’s Xinhua news agency, all the injured have been admitted to various hospitals in Semarang, with several reported to be in critical condition.
Medical teams are continuing treatment, while police are working to identify the deceased and injured. Authorities said they are investigating the exact cause of the accident, including whether speeding, mechanical failure or human error contributed to the crash. Traffic officials are also examining the condition of the toll road and the sharp curve where the bus lost control.
The tragedy comes just days after another fatal incident in Indonesia. A residential house fire in Jakarta last week killed five people after flames engulfed the building late at night.