At least five people died and 32 were injured when a bus carrying employees of Cathay Pacific Airways Limited, the flagship carrier of Hong Kong, collided with a taxi on Tsing Yi island. The accident happened around 5 am local time (2.30 am Indian Standard Time), near the exit of a tunnel, AFP reported.

As many as 10 ambulances were rushed to the scene of the accident. At least three of those injured are in critical condition, the South China Morning Post reported. As many as 27 people are in hospital, and two have been discharged.

“We believe the taxi was broken down and stopped on the left lane of the road,” Superintendent of Police Yip Siu-ming told AFP. “Around 40 seconds later, a coach hit it from behind. The coach driver lost control, hitting the right hand side crash barrier and then the left one. The impact threw three passengers and the driver out of the bus, injuring them.” The taxi driver and four people travelling in the coach died, the police said.

“A shuttle bus carrying our employees was involved in a traffic accident this morning,” Cathay Pacific said in a statement. “It is a tragic and very sad incident. We extend our deepest condolences to the families of those who have sadly passed away.” The company also tweeted asking people to use alternative transport due to the “serious traffic accident” on the Cheung Tsing Highway.

Yip said the police will examine whether the bus driver was tired or driving under the influence of alcohol. “From what we can see, it’s obvious that the driver did not see the broken-down taxi on the road and hit it from behind,” he said. Yip said the coach driver had been working 12-hour shifts from 7 pm to 7 am.