A group of prison inmates were hurt when a bus they were in collided with a semi.

According to the Kansas Department of Corrections, just before 1am Thursday a transport bus carrying 21 Topeka Correctional Facility residents was involved in a traffic accident. Nine people, including eight inmates, were injured.

The inmates had just finished their 3-11 pm shift at the Russell Stover plant in Iola and were returning to Topeka. The bus turned onto Highway 169 and collided with a semi-truck.

The bus driver was seriously injured and transported to a Kansas City area hospital.

Eight inmates were injured including 3 with bone fractures. All eight are expected to recover.

The 13 other inmates reported no injuries and were transported back to the worksite. As a precautionary measure, they were sent to a local hospital for assessment.

KDOC continues to work with law enforcement to determine the cause of the accident.

The Topeka Correctional Facility is the only correctional facility for female adults operated by the Kansas Department of Corrections. The current population is 762 women.