DBP bus topples on way out of Baguio, 41 passengers safe

BAGUIO CITY – A bus fell on its side as it exited Baguio City before Sunday noon but its 41 passengers survived the accident along Marcos Highway, with 7 undergoing treatment for minor injuries, a rescue group said.

The vehicle was carrying employees of the Development Bank of the Philippines who were here for a seminar, said Rafael Valencia, president of the rescue organization 911 On Call.

The bus driver, Johnson Binabay, said he lost control of the brakes between 11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. The bus toppled as Binabay tried to control the vehicle’s descent along Badiwan subvillage in Poblacion village, Tuba town in Benguet province, Valencia said.

The injured passengers were taken to the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center.

The bank employees belongd to various DBP districts and were on their way back to Makati City.

The accident took place on the same day crowds gathered at downtown Baguio to watch this year’s staging of the Grand Float Parade, part of the 22nd Panagbenga (Baguio Flower Festival). JE/rga