At least six people were killed and 11 injured when a passenger bus overturned in the early hours of Saturday on the Garzón–Neiva highway in Huila department, southwestern Colombia, the National Police said in a report seen by the Associated Press.

Source: Associated Press via The Reflector, Nov 14, 2026

The bus, operated by Cootranscaquetá, was carrying 37 passengers. It had departed on Friday evening from San Vicente in the southern department of Caquetá and was travelling north to the capital, Bogotá, when it overturned at about 2 a.m. local time, according to Colombian reporting of the police account.

Police said the exact circumstances are still under investigation, but the report seen by the Associated Press says investigators believe the driver may have experienced a 'microsleep' episode — briefly falling asleep at the wheel for a few seconds — causing the bus to leave its line and overturn.

Source: Associated Press via Ottumwa Courier, Nov 14, 2026

What the police say

Colonel Edwin Correa, director of the National Police's traffic and transportation division, stated in the report that drivers must ensure they have had 'adequate rest before beginning a journey.' Police have not announced any charges, and the microsleep account remains a preliminary line of investigation, not a final finding.

Colombian outlets reported a higher injury count than the police figure carried by the Associated Press. Cablenoticias reported 15 people seriously injured, and said children were among those killed; the victims had not been publicly identified in the reports available on Saturday. Official tolls in the first hours after a crash often change as hospitals and police reconcile their lists.

Videos shared on social media showed emergency personnel assisting injured passengers beside the overturned bus. The vehicle was later removed from the road and traffic on the highway was restored, the police report said.

Overnight journeys and the fatigue question

The Garzón–Neiva road crosses the foothills of the Andes and carries long-distance overnight buses linking Colombia's southern departments with Bogotá. Overnight departures are common on these routes, and driver fatigue on winding mountain highways is a recurring concern in Colombian road-safety debates — which is why investigators are focusing on the driver's rest before the journey.

What happens next: police investigators are expected to complete their reconstruction of the crash, the bus company and the driver's duty record will come under scrutiny, and hospitals treating the injured will update their condition. Awaaz Punjab will update this story if the official toll or the investigation's findings change.