26 killed in RP bus crash

26 killed in RP bus crash

PHILIPPINES: A bus negotiating a steep downhill road in the
northern Philippines lost its brakes and crashed into roadside
boulders on Wednesday, killing 26 people, including the driver,
police said.

Eighteen others were injured.

The bus with 44 people on board was traveling along the Marcos
Highway from the mountain city of Baguio, about 250 kilometers
north of Manila.

TV footage showed bodies lying on the roadside as ambulances
rushed to the scene to attend to the injured. The bus was almost
completely destroyed.

Most of the fatalities suffered massive head fractures, said
Baguio forensic officer Dr. John Tinoyan.

The regional police traffic director, Eduardo Guanzon, said
the cause of the accident was not determined, but noted that the
area is notorious for mishaps.

Police chief Domingo Pulig of Tuba municipality, near Baguio,
said the vehicle rolled over as it was negotiating a steep
downhill section of the highway, then slammed into roadside
boulders.

Road accidents are common in the Philippines because of a lack
of road signs, dangerously dilapidated vehicles and reckless
drivers. --AP