This archive report was first published on 24 December 2019.
On Monday, a bus carrying 27 passengers from Bengkulu province to Pagar Alam in South Sumatra province, Indonesia, crashed into a 150-metre ravine just before midnight, resulting in a devastating accident.
According to local police chief Dolly Gumara, the bus was carrying more people than initially believed, with some survivors estimating there were around 50 people on board when the accident occurred.
"Some passengers were probably added along the way so there's a possibility some more people are still missing in the river," Gumara said, adding that the cause of the accident is being investigated.
Rescuers were searching for the missing near the bus, which was half submerged in the river, with divers scouring the area for any signs of survivors.
"The current in the river is quite strong so there's a possibility some victims were carried away," said Head of the local search and rescue team Berty Kowaas, as divers continued their search efforts.
Footage shared by the rescue team showed bodies being retrieved out of the river and placed on stretchers, while injured survivors were taken to hospital for treatment.
Indonesia has a history of traffic accidents, with old and poorly maintained vehicles and flouted road rules contributing to the high number of fatalities.
Just last month, at least 21 people died when a bus plunged into a ravine in West Java's Sukabumi region, and in a separate incident, 12 people were killed and dozens more injured when a passenger tried to wrest control of a bus steering wheel following an argument with the driver.
