COLOMBIA · ROAD SAFETY
Key Facts
- Deaths Seven people died, Huila authorities say, when a bus overturned on Colombia’s Route 45 in Huila, a southern department.
- Injured Between 15 and more than 20 people were hurt (counts differ) and taken to clinics in Neiva, Huila’s capital.
- The bus The bus operator, Cootranscaquetá, ran a coach with 37 passengers from Florencia, capital of Caquetá department, to Bogotá.
- Cause Traffic police say the driver apparently fell asleep for a moment; the investigation is open.
- As of 14 November 2026, 18:30 GMT (1:30 p.m. US Eastern).
- Power Index Colombia ranks 6th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 51.1 points (November 2026 edition).
An overnight bus rollover in southern Colombia killed seven people, and traffic police point to a driver microsleep.
Published Saturday, 14 November 2026 · Source: Policía de Tránsito y Transporte de Huila (regional traffic police), El Tiempo, Semana
A passenger bus overturned at about 2:00 a.m. on Saturday, 14 November 2026, according to El Tiempo, on National Route 45 in Huila, a department in southern Colombia. Seven people died, according to Huila authorities quoted on Saturday by El Tiempo, a Bogotá daily.
Monday 16 November is a public holiday in Colombia, so this is a long weekend for road travel. The crash happened in the early hours of the opening night of that weekend.
What We Know
The crash happened on the Rivera–Neiva stretch of the highway, according to El Tiempo, published on Saturday at 11:44 a.m. local time. Semana, a Colombian news magazine, placed it near the Rivera toll in a report published at 8:10 a.m. local time.
The bus rolled onto its left side, according to the preliminary account of the traffic police quoted by El Tiempo. Rivera is a municipality of Huila department.
Some early reports spoke of eight deaths, but authorities quoted by El Tiempo said seven. Semana’s early report counted seven, citing preliminary accounts of five adults and two children.
Semana noted that a radio station had spoken of eight and that the figures were still being verified. No official victim list had been issued.
At least 15 people were injured, according to El Tiempo, while Semana counted more than 20. Semana reported that the injured were taken to Neiva, including to the Mediláser and Emcosalud clinics.
The bus belonged to Cootranscaquetá, according to El Tiempo. It left the Florencia terminal, in the capital of Caquetá department, at 8:30 p.m. on Friday, 13 November, with 37 passengers bound for Bogotá.
The Policía de Tránsito y Transporte de Huila, the regional traffic police, said in a statement on Saturday that the driver lost control, apparently because of a microsleep, a brief involuntary lapse of sleep. It added that the exact causes remain under investigation, as El Tiempo reported.
Semana noted that no official statement confirmed the microsleep. Ariel Perdomo, general manager of Cootranscaquetá, said the company does not know the cause and awaits the official report, according to El Tiempo.
Why It Matters
The people most affected are families in Caquetá and Huila, since El Tiempo said the dead were reportedly from towns in Caquetá, with identities unconfirmed. The official victim list had not been issued when we published.
What To Watch
No dated official step is confirmed at the time of writing. The traffic police investigation and the company’s awaited report are the two items to follow.
What Is Not Known
Victim identities are not confirmed, and no official list had been issued when we published. The cause also remains open, since the microsleep is a preliminary police account and the investigation continues.
What It Means for You
Anyone planning an intercity bus trip in Colombia this long weekend should know that the cause is still open. The traffic police investigation will show whether the microsleep account holds.
Connected Coverage
Read the Colombia news hub, our report that at least six died in a Colombian tunnel crash on 9 November, and the Cauca Pan-American bus crash that killed two on 4 November.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people died in the Huila bus crash?
Seven people died, according to Huila authorities quoted by El Tiempo on 14 November 2026. Earlier reports had spoken of eight.
What caused the bus to overturn?
Traffic police said on 14 November 2026 that the driver apparently suffered a microsleep and lost control. The exact causes remain under investigation.
Where did the crash happen?
It happened on the Rivera–Neiva stretch of National Route 45 in Huila, southern Colombia, at about 2:00 a.m. on 14 November 2026. Semana put it near the Rivera toll.
Where was the bus going?
The Cootranscaquetá bus was travelling from Florencia, capital of Caquetá, to Bogotá with 37 passengers, according to El Tiempo. It left on the evening of 13 November.
Sources: Policía de Tránsito y Transporte de Huila, statement of 14 November 2026 as quoted by El Tiempo; El Tiempo, 14 November 2026 https://www.eltiempo.com/colombia/otras-ciudades/los-detalles-de-la-investigacion-tras-el-volcamiento-de-un-bus-que-deja-siete-muertos-en-huila-este-es-el-estado-de-los-pasajeros-3601101 ; Semana, 14 November 2026 https://www.semana.com/nacion/articulo/emergencia-en-huila-por-volcamiento-de-bus-reportan-ocho-personas-muertas-y-mas-de-20-heridos/202619/
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