A field trip involving university students and their professors tragically concluded on Saturday when their bus crashed in western Colombia, resulting in at least 10 deaths and 11 injuries, as confirmed by their university.
According to a preliminary investigation, the bus driver lost control of the vehicle, which was transporting 26 passengers from Tolima to Quindio.
Police commander Luis Fernando Atuesta reported that several individuals were ejected from the bus when it collided with a barrier on the side of the Helicoil Bridge in the Quindio region.
“Several passengers were ejected and fell into the abyss,” the officer stated, adding that investigations are currently underway to “establish the conditions of this unfortunate accident.”
Humboldt University in the Colombian city of Armenia issued a statement declaring two days of mourning following “the painful loss of several of our colleagues, students, professors, and administrators” in the incident.
University director Diego Fernando Jaramillo Lopez confirmed in a video message that the bus was carrying “22 students, two teachers, and a communications officer.”
Road accidents are a leading cause of death in Colombia, with the national highway authority reporting an average of 22 traffic fatalities per day in 2024.
