5 dead, 22 wounded as bus slams into boulder

DAVAO CITY—At least five persons were killed while at least 22 others were wounded when a bus crashed into a boulder to avoid falling into a ravine in the Island Garden City of Samal (Igacos) in Davao del Norte on Tuesday.

Janus Rafailes, chief of the City Disaster and Risk Reduction Management of Igacos, said the Island Express bus was carrying more than 20 passengers and was maneuvering a hill in the village of Kaputian when it met the accident at around 10 a.m.

Rafailes said police, though, are still investigating the accident.

Rafailes said the bus brakes apparently failed as it sped down the hill, forcing the driver to slam the vehicle into a roadside boulder to avoid plunging into the ravine.

Among those killed was the bus driver.

Samal Island is a popular tourist destination because of its pristine beaches but Rafailes said the victims were all residents of the island and nearby Davao City. Dennis Jay Santos, Inquirer Mindanao with AP