At least 25 killed as bus falls into ravine in Nueva Ecija town

GRAPHIC FROM AFP

Updated: 5:08 p.m., April 18, 2017

At least 25 people were killed and 22 injured when a passenger bus crashed into a deep ravine in the mountainous northern Philippines on Tuesday, authorities said.

The bus plunged about 24 meters (80 feet) in the upland province of Nueva Ecija before noon after its brakes failed while travelling on a windy road, police and local officials said.

“The vehicle is totally wrecked,” said Senior Insp. Robert De Guzman, police chief of the town of Carranglan where the accident occurred. The impact appeared to have ripped the top off the vehicle, he added.

“Almost all of the passengers, both dead and injured, were found outside the bus.”

Authorities were still investigating the cause of the accident but Carranglan Mayor Mary Abad told ABS-CBN television there were 60 passengers onboard although the bus had a capacity of only 45.

Abad added the wounded, some of whom sustained critical injuries, were rushed to nearby hospitals – the Nueva Vizcaya Provincial Hospital in Bambang and the Vetertans Regional Hospital in Bayombong, both in Nueava Vizcaya.

“The road is really risky. There are many ravines along that road going to Abra,” Abad said, referring to the northern province where the bus was headed.

Dr. Arlene Jara, chief of the nearby Nueva Vizcaya Provincial Hospital treating the wounded, said children were among those injured.

Road accidents are common in the Philippines, where old, badly maintained buses ply poorly lit roads. Poor road habits and drivers working long hours also contribute to frequent mishaps. atm/idl