A passenger bus crash killed at least 16 people on Indonesia’s main island of Java just after midnight Monday, December 22, 2025, officials said.
The bus carrying 34 people lost control on a toll road and struck a concrete barrier before rolling onto its side, said Budiono, a search and rescue agency chief who goes by a single name like many Indonesians.
The inter-province bus was traveling from the capital Jakarta to the country’s ancient royal city of Yogyakarta when it overturned while entering a curved exit ramp at the Krapyak toll way in Central Java’s Semarang city, he said.
“The forceful impact threw several passengers and left them trapped against the bus body,” Budiono said.
Police and rescue teams arrived about 40 minutes after the accident and recovered the bodies of six passengers who died at the scene. Another 10 people died on the way to a hospital or while being treated, Budiono said.
The 18 victims being treated at two nearby hospitals included five people in critical condition and 13 in serious condition, he said.
Television news reports showed the yellow bus overturned on its side and surrounded by National Search and Rescue Agency personnel, police and passersby as ambulances transported victims and the dead away from the accident scene.
Witnesses told authorities the bus was traveling at high speed before the driver lost control, Central Java Police Chief Ribut Hari Wibowo said at Dr. Karyadi General Hospital in Semarang where the bodies were being identified.
The driver was a substitute who sustained serious injuries but was able to communicate while under medical care, he said.
“We are still investigating the cause of the crash and questioning the injured substitute driver,” Wibowo said, adding that police planned to test the driver for prohibited substances including drugs.
The crash occurred on a route that connects Indonesia’s sprawling capital to one of its most culturally significant cities. Java, the nation’s most populous island, serves as the country’s economic and political heart.
Bus accidents are common in Indonesia, where many vehicles are aging and poorly maintained, and traffic regulations are frequently ignored. The country’s extensive network of inter-city buses provides crucial transportation for millions of residents who rely on affordable travel options between major population centers.
Police investigation into the crash continues as authorities work to determine the exact circumstances that led to the deadly accident on the toll road early Monday morning.
The tragedy highlights ongoing safety concerns on Indonesia’s roadways, particularly regarding long-distance passenger transport. Toll roads, designed to provide safer and faster travel compared to conventional highways, have still been the site of numerous serious accidents in recent years.
Families of the victims began gathering at the hospitals in Semarang as authorities worked to notify next of kin and complete identification procedures. The National Search and Rescue Agency coordinated the emergency response alongside local police and medical personnel.
The incident marks one of the deadliest bus crashes in Central Java in recent months, raising questions about driver training standards and vehicle safety inspections for commercial passenger transport. The use of a substitute driver in this case has become a focal point of the ongoing investigation.
Survivors receiving treatment faced varying degrees of injury, with medical staff at the two hospitals working to stabilize those in critical condition while providing care for others with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
The crash scene required extensive rescue operations as emergency responders worked to free passengers trapped in the overturned vehicle and provide immediate medical assistance to survivors before transport to medical facilities.
