BANDUNG, INDONESIA (BNO NEWS) -- At least eleven people were killed on late Wednesday evening when a passenger bus was involved in an accident in West Java, Indonesian authorities said on Thursday. Several others were injured.

The accident happened on Wednesday evening in the Wado area of Sumedang, which is located about 35 kilometers (28 miles) northeast of Bandung, when the passenger bus plunged down a ravine after crashing into a truck in front of the vehicle.

Sumedang police chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner Arman Achdiat told the Antara news agency that authorities are still investigating the cause of the accident, although officials believe that a failure in the bus' brake system caused the accident because no tire marks were found.

Officials said the accident left at least eleven people killed while 22 others were taken to area hospitals. The passenger bus was operated by Maju Java, Antara reported.

According to official figures, road accidents kill more than 16,500 people a year in Indonesia, although the actual number is estimated to be more than 37,000. Many accidents in the country are blamed on poor maintenance and dangerous driving as police officers can often be bribed to ignore violations.

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