Road tragedy in Antioquia leaves at least 16 dead after bus accident involving graduating students

A serious road emergency struck northeastern Antioquia early Sunday morning when a bus carrying recent 11th-grade graduates plunged into a ravine, leaving a preliminary death toll of at least 16 and nearly 20 injured.

The accident occurred around 5:40 a.m. on the road connecting the municipalities of Remedios and Zaragoza, specifically in the area known as El Chispero. According to initial reports, the vehicle plunged approximately 80 meters down a ravine, for reasons that are still under investigation.

There were 37 occupants on board, returning to Medellín after a year-end trip to Tolú and Coveñas, organized by the graduating students of the Liceo Antioqueño de Bello. The school clarified that the trip was not part of an official school activity and was arranged directly by the students, without teacher supervision.

The transportation service had been contracted through Senior Prom Fest, an event and entertainment operator, while the driver worked for the tourist transportation company Precultur. Among the fatalities was the bus driver, Johnatan Taborda Cocacolo, whose death was mourned by members of the department's tourism sector.

Given the magnitude of the tragedy, the governor of Antioquia, Andrés Julián Rendón, confirmed the full activation of the department's hospital network to attend to the injured and announced their deployment to the hospital in Remedios. Authorities cautioned that the figures are preliminary, due to the complexity of the rescue operation and initial reports of missing persons.

Firefighters from Remedios and Segovia, ambulances from the municipality of Concepción, and personnel from the Emervida company, who were passing through the area and assisted with the rescue efforts, responded to the scene.

According to the mayor of Segovia, Edwin Castañeda, the injured were primarily taken to hospitals in Remedios and Segovia. Sixteen injured people were admitted to the San Vicente de Paúl Hospital in Remedios, including four adults and twelve teenagers. Other injured individuals were transferred to the hospital in Segovia and, if necessary, to more specialized medical centers.

Authorities indicated that the initial hypothesis points to a possible microsleep by the driver, although they stressed that the official causes of the accident will only be established after the corresponding investigation.

The Antioquia Governor's Office and the mayors of Bello and Segovia urged caution, asking the public to avoid misinformation and await official reports while response and verification efforts continue in the area.

Injured individuals receiving medical attention

Adults:

David Rua Vallejo, 18 years old

Jamilton Isaac Piedrahíta, 27 years old

Nicolás Ochoa Vahos, 18 years old

Juliana Álvarez Correa, 18 years old

Adolescents:

Nicolás Galeano Ramírez, 16 years old

Miguel Ángel Román, 17 years old

Erik Cañaveral Ospina, 17 years old

Valerie Luciana Díaz Mazo, 16 years old

Jerónimo Hurtado Vélez, 16 years old

Miguel Ángel Carvajal, 17 years old

Jimena Londoño Sánchez, 16 years old

Katherine Mira Zapata, 16 years old

María Sofía Posso Gómez, 17 years old

Miguel Ángel Forero, 17 years old

Santiago Galeano Quintero, 16 years old

Samuel Marín Agudelo, 16 years old