Officials claimed Wednesday that 17 people were killed and 11 were injured after a passenger bus careered off a road on a “killer curve” and tumbled down a mountain in the central Philippines.
The bus was traveling through Hamtic municipality in Antique province when it crashed Tuesday afternoon, according to provincial disaster agency head Roderick Train.
Train described the part of road as “accident prone,” saying seven individuals were in critical condition and four others were stable.
One Kenyan national was among those slain, and a second was gravely injured.
Governor Rhodora Cadiao had earlier told radio station DZRH that there were four Kenyans on board the bus, which was carrying primarily Antique residents.
Local police later clarified there were only two. Another body was still being identified.
“I call that place ‘killer curve’… it was already the second Ceres bus that fell off there,” said Cadiao, referring to the bus company.
“With the many number of deaths that road must be abandoned… and make another road to make that area safe.”
The heavily forested ravine was around 30 metres (100 feet) deep, Cadiao said.
Train said the bus “fell from a high place”, resulting in many casualties.
“Based on the witnesses, it was a mechanical failure. The driver lost control, possible brake failure,” Train said.
(Photo by Handout / ILOILO CITY DISASTER RISK REDUCTION AND MANAGEMENT OFFICE / AFP)
Cadiao went to the hospital where the injured survivors were being treated. She pledged government support for victims’ medical and funeral expenses.
Train stated that the search and rescue effort had concluded and that officials would now concentrate on rescuing the bus.
“We searched for the bodies until this morning,” Train said. “It was tiring to go up and down.”
Road accidents are rampant in the Southeast Asian country, where drivers routinely break the regulations and vehicles are typically under-maintained or overloaded.