35 injured as bus hits Edsa wall

At least 35 people were injured when a Newman Goldliner bus rammed into a wall at the corner of Edsa’s southbound lane and Evangelista Street in Makati City on Saturday morning.

The bus company had agreed to compensate the victims, while the driver, who claimed that the accident was due to failing brakes, may no longer face charges if the different parties come to a settlement, said PO2 Marte Cezar Bueno of the Makati traffic bureau.

“If any of the parties are not satisfied with the settlement, we will be willing to assist them in filing charges,” Bueno told the Inquirer.

The driver Manuel Mabago claimed that the bus lost its brakes at around 8:30 a.m. as it headed toward Pasay City, forcing him to veer to the right and ram it into the firewall between Unicia Building and Doña Valeriana Building, Bueno added.

The injured included the 27 passengers, Mabago and his conductor, and six persons at Unicia Building. They mainly suffered bruises and were brought to San Juan de Dios Hospital, Pasay General Hospital, and other nearby hospitals.

The impact damaged the front of the bus, the firewall, and two motorcycles at Unicia Building. Nathaniel R. Melican