17 dead in Ceres bus accident in Antique, clarifies Governor Cadiao

(Photo courtesy of Iloilo City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office)

MANILA, Philippines — The Antique Provincial Government on Wednesday clarified that 17 died from the accident involving a Ceres bus, which fell into a ravine in Hamtic, Antique on Tuesday.

Antique Governor Rhodora Cadiao said in a press conference that there is no cell site in the accident site, and the information they were receiving was just “visual and verbal,” making the previous reports “unofficial.”

The provincial government earlier reported the bus had 53 passengers, and at least 25 were dead on the spot.

“To rectify the initial information, because there was a bloated report. Apologies from all of us kasi (because) that area there has no cell site,” Cadiao said about the place of the tragedy.

According to Boyet Train, Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office Head of Antique, due to the problem in communication, he personally went to the area of the accident.

Train said 16 bodies were retrieved on the scene, while one of the critically injured victims died early Wednesday morning.

“One of the critically wounded passengers expired at 3 a.m. this morning, so we have 17 deaths, four in a stable condition at the Delegate Angels Salazar [Memorial General Hospital], and seven were critically [injured],” he said.

(Photo courtesy of Iloilo City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office)

Meanwhile, the provincial government said one of the retrieved bodies remains unidentified.

“We have one unidentified male cadaver,” Cadiao said.

She said the body has identities, such as a honeycomb tattoo on the right arm and the right leg and stomach.

The victim was said to be around 29 to 35 years old, and his height was around five feet and seven or eight inches.

The Governor also said the majority of the victims are Antiqueños, while two are foreigners.

The area where the accident happened is dubbed the “killer curve,” Cadiao noted, as similar mishaps already occurred in the same area.