Jakarta. The Transportation Ministry said an intercity bus involved in a deadly collision with a tanker truck in South Sumatra was operating without a valid permit.

Director General of Land Transportation Aan Suhanan said officials discovered the permit violation after inspecting the crash site and examining the vehicles involved in the accident on the Trans-Sumatra highway near Simpang Danau in South Sumatra.

“We came to the location and checked the vehicles involved. The ALS intercity bus was found to have lacked an operating permit since Nov. 4, 2020, although its electronic vehicle inspection certificate remains valid until May 11, 2026,” Aan said in a statement released Friday.

According to Aan, the bus operator could face serious sanctions under Transportation Ministry Regulation No. 15/2019 on public passenger transportation services.

Authorities suspect the company violated Article 102 of the regulation by falsifying travel documents, operating a vehicle with an expired operating permit, and negligently running the vehicle in a way that caused a fatal accident.

Officials are also investigating indications of license plate falsification after inspectors found discrepancies in the vehicle’s chassis number during the on-site examination.

“All findings from the field will be followed up through an inspection audit of the company,” Aan said.

He added that the violations could result in administrative sanctions ranging from a six- to 12-month suspension of the operator’s permit to a complete revocation of its operating license.

“Regarding the sanctions, we will conduct further investigation first,” he said.

Before the crash, the ALS bus reportedly passed through the Type A Batay Terminal in Lahat en route to Medan with 10 passengers listed on its manifest. At Lubuklinggau Terminal, the bus departed at 10 a.m. local time carrying a total of 18 people, including 14 passengers and four crew members.

The accident killed 16 people, including 11 bus passengers, three bus crew members, and two tanker truck crew members. Four others were injured, consisting of three passengers and one bus crew member.

Aan said the Transportation Ministry is still awaiting the results of the investigation by the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) and the police to determine the exact cause of the crash.