New taipei: Twenty-eight people sustained minor injuries early Wednesday after a bus and a heavy truck collided on the northbound section of National Freeway No. 1 near the 33.8-kilometer mark in Wugu District, New Taipei, highway police said.

According to Focus Taiwan, the crash occurred at 6:52 a.m. and blocked traffic until 8 a.m., as stated by the National Highway Police Bureau. Police received a report two minutes after the accident, and officers, firefighters, and emergency medical teams were immediately dispatched to the scene.

The bus driver and passengers suffered abrasions and minor injuries to their heads and legs. All 28 people were transported by ambulance to Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Fu Jen Catholic University Hospital, and Taipei Hospital for treatment. Police confirmed that none were in a life-threatening condition.

A preliminary investigation found that the truck driver, a 51-year-old man surnamed Chung, allegedly failed to maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front, swerved into the outer lane, and came to an abrupt stop. This caused a bus driven by a 64-year-old man surnamed Liu to crash into the rear of the truck.

Two lanes were closed after the crash, leading to a traffic backup of about three kilometers. Breathalyzer tests for both drivers came back negative, according to police. The freeway was fully reopened by 8:16 a.m., and traffic has since returned to normal. The cause of the accident remains under investigation.