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Eight people die in bus accident in Philippines

Apr 11, 2008 | Associated Press | Reuters News

Eight people, including two children, were killed when a packed commuter bus plunged into a deep ravine, known as the 'Death Valley', in the northern Philippines on Friday, officials said.

Maria Cristina Munar, a municipal health officer in Diadi town, north of Manila, said 20 other passengers of the ill-fated bus were taken to nearby clinics for treatment.

"Some of them were still in shock," Munar told reporters. "We can't talk to them to find out what really happened. Most of the fatalities had head injuries and were crushed to death."

Police said the bus was enroute to a mountain resort town famed for its rice terraces when it fell into a 200-meter ravine near Diadi.

Marvic Padilla, the town mayor, said he was told the driver of the bus lost control of the steering wheel while negotiating the narrow and steep mountain road. The bus was a total wreck and bodies were strewn in the area, he added.

Road accidents are common in the Philippines due to poor infrastructure, costing the country about $1.9 billion in economic losses in the early 2000s, according to an Asian Development Bank (ADB) study.

The ADB has recorded an average of 1,000 deaths per year in the Philippines due to road crashes. (Reporting by Manny Mogato; Editing by Carmel Crimmins and Jerry Norton)