School teacher dead, 15 others hurt in road accident in Albay

LEGAZPI CITY — A public school teacher died while 15 other passengers were wounded in a road accident involving a Raymond Bus and a passenger jeepney along a national highway on Sunday afternoon in Camalig town in Albay province, a police report said on Monday.

Police Major Dante Rosal, Camalig town police chief, has identified the victim as Lea Paliangayan, 49, resident of Guinobatan town, also in Albay, and a teacher of the Marcial O. Rañola Memorial School (MORMS) in Guinobatan.

Rosal said the incident happened at around 5:50 p.m. along the Maharlika Highway in Barangay (village) Libod.

The report said the passenger jeep, carrying eight passengers and driven by Jeason Nual, 38, of Daraga town, was bound for this city while the Raymond Transportation Bus, also with eight passengers on board and driven by Ranulfo Decano Jr., 41, of Gumaca, Quezon, was bound for Quezon province.

Report said the Raymond bus was about to overtake another vehicle when the driver lost control and sideswiped the passenger jeep. The bus then crashed into a concrete post and a coconut tree, forcing it to overturn.

The report said passenger Agrepina Alpapara was pinned inside the bus but was extricated by members of the Bureau of Fire Protection Search and Rescue Unit.

The wounded passengers were taken to the Bicol Regional Training and Teaching Hospital here for treatment.

Decano surrendered and was jailed at the town police station.