1 dead, 9 hurt in Benguet road accident

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines—A passenger died while at least nine others were hurt when a bus bound for La Union province smashed into a mountainside along Naguilian Road in Sablan, Benguet, on Thursday, reports from the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in the Cordillera region said.

The report said the Ian Transport bus was cruising on the highway’s section in Barangay (village) Banangan at 5:30 p.m. when its brakes malfunctioned, forcing the driver to swerve and hit a mountainside to avoid falling into a ravine.

The bus, which was on its way to San Fernando City in La Union, was carrying 43 passengers. The OCD report did not identify the fatality but said the injured passengers were taken to a hospital in this city, some 20 kilometers from the accident site.