Sixteen students on board a school van in Johor Bahru sustained injuries when the vehicle turned turtle after apparently hitting a manhole on Friday (July 18) morning.

The van was ferrying 10 primary school pupils and six students from two secondary schools, reported the New Straits Times (NST).

Johor state Education and Information Committee chairman Aznan Tamin said on Facebook that some students had broken their arm or finger in the accident.

According to The Star, the three victims who had suffered broken bones are primary school students. The other 13 passengers sustained minor injuries.

A picture circulating online show glass shards and what appears to be bloodstains on the road where the overturned bus lay.

The Johor government has said it will investigate if theft or negligence by a contractor had led to the manhole being uncovered, according to NST.

Public Works, Transport, Infrastructure and Communications Committee chairman Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh also said an audit will be conducted in surrounding areas to identify any "infrastructure risks".

"This incident should never have happened. I am committed to ensuring immediate improvements are made so that such accidents do not recur," he was quoted as saying.

Johor police said in a statement that they are investigating the incident.

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