Death toll in Philippine ‘killer curve’ bus accident rises to 17
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
The number of confirmed deaths was lower than the 28 reported earlier in local media.
PHOTO: XINHUA
Follow topic:
MANILA - A passenger who was severely injured when a bus plunged into a ravine in the central Philippines has died, taking the death toll in the accident to 17, the authorities said on Dec 6.
The bus was carrying dozens of people when its brakes failed in the central province of Antique on the afternoon of Dec 5, the local governor, Ms Rhodora Cadiao, told a press conference.
Seven people were in critical condition while four were stable and recovering, she said.
The local media had reported earlier that 28 people had died in the crash.
Ms Cadiao said the bus was travelling to Culasi in Antique from the neighbouring province of Iloilo when its brakes malfunctioned on a winding road, and the vehicle plunged 30m into the ravine.
“We call that area the killer curve. It was already the second bus that fell off there,” she told DZRH radio station.
Rescue operations at the site have stopped after all visible bodies were retrieved, the Antique government said on Facebook.
“The engineering design of this road is very faulty,” Ms Cadiao said. “I want to condemn that road already.”
The Philippines is notorious for its lax regulation on public transportation and poorly maintained roads. REUTERS
