17 Killed In Massive Philippines Bus Crash

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

MANILA (Worthy News) – The Philippines, already reeling from deadly earthquakes, saw more suffering Wednesday as 17 people died when a passenger bus careered off a road and plunged down a central mountain, officials said.

The bus was carrying dozens of people when its brakes failed in the central province of Antique on Tuesday afternoon, the local governor, Rhodora Cadiao, told reporters.

Cadiao said the bus was traveling to Culasi in Antique from the neighboring province of Iloilo when its brakes malfunctioned on a winding road, and it plunged 30 meters (98.5 feet) into the ravine.

The bus drove on an “accident-prone” section of road in the Hamtic municipality of Antique province when the crash happened, added Roderick Train, head of the provincial disaster agency.

Seven people were reportedly in critical condition in the hospital, and four others were stable. “This is a mountain road, so the bus fell from a high place. That’s why the impact caused many casualties,” Train said.

“We call that area the killer curve. It was already the second bus that fell off there,” Cadiao added in an interview with DZRH radio station.

Rescue operations at the site have stopped after all visible bodies were retrieved, the Antique government said.

The crash underscored broader concerns about deadly road accidents in the Philippines, where drivers frequently flout the rules and vehicles are often poorly maintained or overloaded.

It came after the Philippines was already dealing with the aftermath of several earthquakes that killed at least three people and injured several more. The tragedies prompted Christians in the heavily Catholic nation to urge for prayers.

Latest Worthy News