Seventeen people were killed and 20 were injured after a bus carrying school children fell off a cliff in a rural area in northern Colombia, the local governor said on Sunday night, December 14 .
In a post on X earlier in the day, the governor of Antioquia, Andres Julian, said the bus was traveling from the Caribbean town of Tolu to Medellin after a school trip and was carrying students from the Antioqueño High School.
The students had been celebrating their graduation on the beach, he added on Sunday night. “It’s very hard news for the entire community during the time of December,” he said.
The bus was carrying students from the Antioqueño High School, aged between 16 and 18, who were returning from the Caribbean towns of Tolu and Covenas after celebrating their graduation on the beach. The vehicle fell approximately 40 meters (about 131 feet), according to officials.
Antioquia Department Governor Andrés Julián Rendón confirmed the tragedy, stating, “It’s very hard news for the entire community during the time of December.” The dangerous location required rescuers to transport survivors on stretchers up steep terrain.
Governor Rendón stated that the cause of the accident remains under investigation. The National Road Safety Agency has launched a probe to determine what caused the bus, which was carrying around 40 passengers, to veer off the road.
While the specific cause is unknown, local media have reported that authorities are looking into the possibility that the driver, identified as Johnatan Taborda Cocacolo, may have experienced a “microsleep.”
Local police also noted that the crash occurred in an area where the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group is still active, which compelled firefighters and security personnel to take special precautions during rescue operations. The ELN had instructed civilians to avoid commercial travel for 72 hours as the group conducted military exercises.
Colombian President, Gustavo Petro expressed his sorrow on X, writing: “I don’t like it when young people die. Even less when they’re going to study or to relax happily.” The tragedy comes as road authorities report an average of 22 traffic-related deaths per day in Colombia in 2024.
🚨⚡️Tragedy in Colombia
At least sixteen people, including 14 children, were killed in a school bus crash in Colombia.
The bus was carrying high school students returning from a trip.
On the way back, the bus plunged into a ravine. pic.twitter.com/sRrXd7xCHO— RussiaNews 🇷🇺 (@mog_russEN) December 14, 2025
#School #bus #accident #Colombia #klls #injures #video
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