BUS CRASH. At least 19 died in a bus crash that happened on Tuesday night, March 20, in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro. All photos courtesy of Occidental Mindoro PDRRMO and Sablayan MDRRMO

MANILA, Philippines (3rd UPDATE) – At least 19 people died and 21 others were injured after a passenger bus fell off a bridge in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro on Tuesday evening, March 20.

The Dimple Star bus with plate number TYU 708 fell off Patrick Bridge, located at the boundary of barangays (villages) Batongbuhay and San Agustin, Sablayan's Disaster Operation Center said in a Facebook post.

The Disaster Operation Center identified some of the victims of the bus crash:

It also identified two hospitals accommodating the victims: Occidental Mindoro Provincial Hospital, and San Sebastian District Hospital.

Occidental Mindoro Provincial Health Officer Ner Agoncillo said only 15 out of the 19 people who died have been identified as of this posting.

Meanwhile, a total of 21 people were injured due to the incident; 17 of the victims were admitted to hospitals, while 4 were outpatients.

Regional police spokeswoman Imelda Tolentino said the bus was heading to Manila when it skidded off a mountain road.

Rescue workers were pulling the dead and injured from the vehicle, which landed at the bottom of a wooded ravine, she added.

"Police are investigating why the driver lost control – whether there was mechanical trouble or the driver fell asleep," Tolentino told Agence France-Presse.

Police photos showed rescue workers clambering down the cliff to reach the bus, which lay on its side amongst trees and grass about 15 meters below the road.

Road accidents are common in the Philippines, where poorly maintained buses and poorly-trained drivers form the backbone of land transport options.

In 2010, 41 people died, including 5 foreigners, when a packed bus plunged into a deep ravine in the northern Philippines. Another 31 people perished in bus crash in the country's north in April 2017.

Public transport regulators said Wednesday, March 21, they may suspend the franchise of the operator of the bus involved in the most recent disaster.

'Go-to agency needed'

In a statement on Wednesday, Senator Grace Poe – chair of the Senate committee on public services – condoled with the families of the victims, adding that she is "enraged with the loss of lives due to events that could have been prevented."

Citing the Philippine Statistics Authority, Poe said that in 2014, "accidents" which are mostly vehicular have claimed the lives of 43,853 Filipinos.

"Sadly, the list of tragic road accidents and their casualties continue to increase because vehicles that are not roadworthy or even those we label as rolling coffins are still allowed to ply the roads with near impunity," she noted.

Poe said that based on reports, there had been previous accidents already involving Dimple Star buses which also resulted in fatalities.

The senator then lamented that the country has no "go-to agency" for "major transportation accidents."

"There is a general pattern to be perceived in each of the accidents, and unless we fail to piece them together, they will occur. This can be done by [a National Transportation Safety Board] which will be the transportation safety ombudsman who can raise the alarm on accidents waiting to happen," she said, referring to her proposed bill, the National Transportation Safety Board Act of 2016. – with reports from Agence France-Presse and Aika Rey/Rappler.com</s>MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A passenger bus careened off a winding dirt road and hurtled down a ravine south of the Philippine capital, killing 19 people, police said Wednesday.

The crash Tuesday night in a mountainous area of Sablayan town in Occidental Mindoro province injured 21 other passengers, including an infant, police investigator Alexis Go said.

He said the bus apparently went out of control and swerved wildly on a downhill stretch of the road, which was under repair. As it approached a bridge in the dark, "a surviving passenger recalled the driver yelling at them to hold on because the bus had lost its brakes," Go said by telephone.

"Then the passenger remembered everything tumbling around inside the bus, he heard a loud crash and he passed out," Go said.

The bus slammed into some stone barricades on the roadside ahead of the bridge and then flew off the road down a ravine, which was 15 to 20 meters (50 to 65 feet) deep. The impact killed the driver and most passengers in the front rows of seats, he said.

An infant near the front survived after a relative embraced the baby and the seat cushion prevented him from being pinned to death, said Go, who inspected the accident site.

Photographs showed the green and white Dimple Star Transport bus lying precariously on the edge of a dry canal at the bottom of the ravine. Rescuers peered into the bus cabin with flashlights attached to their foreheads.

Investigators will try to determine if a brake failure or other mechanical problem caused the accident, Go said, adding there were no skid marks on the road where the bus plunged off the cliff.

Highway fatalities are alarmingly high in the Philippines due to poor law enforcement, dilapidated vehicles and a lack of safety features such as signs and railings, especially in far-flung provinces.

Sen. Grace Poe called for support for a Senate bill that would create a National Transportation Safety Board and other steps such as inspections of public transport vehicles and strict licensing of drivers.

She said the crash was a reminder of how dangerous public transportation is in the Philippines.

"Sadly, the list of tragic road accidents and their casualties continue to increase because vehicles that are not roadworthy or even those we label as rolling coffins are still allowed to ply the roads with near impunity," she said in a statement.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>According to the information given by the authorities, a passenger bus fell into a ravine south of the Philippines capital Manila resulting in the death of 19 people while 17 others suffered injuries. The crash occurred Tuesday night in Sablayan town in Occidental Mindoro province as the bus was heading on a downhill stretch of a road that had been under repair. The bus struck a bridge railing before falling into the six-metre deep ravine. A mechanical problem may have…

According to the information given by the authorities, a passenger bus fell into a ravine south of the Philippines capital Manila resulting in the death of 19 people while 17 others suffered injuries.

The crash occurred Tuesday night in Sablayan town in Occidental Mindoro province as the bus was heading on a downhill stretch of a road that had been under repair. The bus struck a bridge railing before falling into the six-metre deep ravine.

A mechanical problem may have caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle, police investigator Alexis Go told The Associated Press.

Police officer Ian Villanosa said the bus driver was killed and that children were among the injured.

Highway fatalities are alarmingly high in the Philippines due to poor traffic law enforcement, the dilapidated conditions of vehicles, and a lack of safety features like signs and railings, especially in far-flung provinces.</s>A bus crash in the central Philippines left 19 people dead and another 21 injured Tuesday night, according to police.

The passenger bus was headed to the Philippine capital Manila when it crashed through a guardrail and plunged off a cliff into a 5o-foot-deep ravine in Occidental Mindoro province, according to the Associated Press.

The driver was among those killed, and children are reportedly among the injured.

Police are investigating the cause of the accident and have not ruled out mechanical issues, a regional police spokesperson said.

The country’s public safety regulator responded Wednesday by suspending the licenses of 10 buses associated with the bus company for 30 days, according to the Philippines-based .

The Philippines has a high rate of road fatalities due to lax traffic law enforcement, poor safety regulations, and the abundance of older vehicles on its roads.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), 10,012 people were killed in traffic accidents in 2015, hundreds of them children, as the number of road-related fatalities has climbed steadily since 2006.</s>Sablayan's Disaster Operation Center says 20 others are injured due to the incident

MANILA, Philippines – At least 19 people died and 20 others were injured after a passenger bus fell off a bridge in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro on Tuesday evening, March 20.

The Dimple Star bus with plate number TYU 708 fell off Patrick Bridge, located at the boundary of barangays(villages) Batongbuhay and San Agustin, Sablayan's Disaster Operation Center said in a Facebook post.

The Disaster Operation Center identified some of the victims of the bus crash:

It also identified two hospitals accommodating the victims: Occidental Mindoro Provincial Hospital, and San Sebastian District Hospital.

A GMA News Online report quoted the police as saying that based on initial reports, the bus was traveling north along the national highway when its driver lost control of the vehicle.

The bus fell off after hitting the side railing of the bridge. – Rappler.com</s>SAN JOSE, Occidental Mindoro: Nineteen people were killed and 21 others were injured when the bus they were riding lost control and plunged into a ravine in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro late Tuesday.

Arcris Canillo, Sablayan municipal disaster risk reduction officer, said the Dimple Star Transport bus, with plate number TYU-708, was approaching Patrick Bridge on its way to Manila from San Jose town, and had 40 passengers.

“The road was sloping down. Before the bridge is a curve. One of the passengers who survived said the bus lost its brakes, that’s why it veered toward the rails before plunging into the ravine,” he said.

Police photos showed rescue workers clambering down the cliff to reach the bus, which lay on its side among trees and grass about 15 meters (49 feet) below the road.

Sablayan town is about 195 kilometers (121 miles) south of Manila.

Among the dead were the bus driver, Arno Panganiban, and conductor Erwin Estipona Ebuenga.

Canillo identified the other fatalities as Leaflor de Pedro Borlado, Cely Pama, Marciano Ramos, Rudy Bacani, Teresita Tupagan, Elizabeth de la Cruz, Verginia Ramos, Lolita Bayle, Guilbert Vanguardia Jr., Robert Dioso, Gloria Gabuco, Anselma Gomez, Geraldine Tarcena, Judith Gabuco, Rodolfo Santiago, Nellie Alvaro and Percival Flores.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board immediately suspended 10 buses of Dimple Star Transport bus for 30 days.

The plate numbers of suspended buses traveling from San Jose to Mamburao via Abra de Ilog are: TYU-708, TYU-909, TYU-807, TYU-707, TYU-789, TYZ-800, TYZ-801, TYZ-700, TYZ-881 and PTO 367.

Earlier on Wednesday, LTFRB board member Aileen Lizada inspected the terminals of the bus operator to ensure the safety of passengers. Inspectors saw two buses with worn-out tires.

The families of the victims will be given financial assistance on Thursday, upon presentation of birth or marriage certificates and identification cards, authorities said.

Road accidents are common in the Philippines, where inadequately maintained buses and poorly trained drivers form the backbone of land transport options.

In 2010, 41 people died, including five foreigners, when a packed bus plunged into a deep ravine in the northern Philippines.

Another 31 people perished in a bus crash in the country’s north in April last year while 20 were killed when two buses collided in the north in December.

Sen. Grace Poe took aim at the nation’s regulation system, saying “vehicles that are not roadworthy or even those we label as rolling coffins are still allowed to ply the roads with near impunity.”

Poe renewed her call for the immediate approval of Senate Bill 1637 establishing the National Transport Safety Board to improve transport safety. The bill is in the advanced period of interpellations in the Senate and is up for second reading.</s>MANILA, Philippines — A passenger bus careened off a winding, dirt road and fell into a ravine south of the Philippine capital, killing 19 people and injuring 17 others, police said Wednesday.

The crash occurred Tuesday night in Sablayan town in Occidental Mindoro province as the bus was heading on a downhill stretch of a road that had been under repair. The bus struck a bridge railing before falling into the 15- to 20-foot-deep ravine.

A mechanical problem may have caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle, police investigator Alexis Go told The Associated Press.

Police officer Ian Villanosa said the bus driver was killed and that children were among the injured.

Highway fatalities are alarmingly high in the Philippines due to poor traffic law enforcement, the dilapidated conditions of vehicles, and a lack of safety features like signs and railings, especially in far-flung provinces.

A senator who advocates for traffic safety shared her sympathies to the families of the victims while also expressing rage that such accidents are preventable.

Sen. Grace Poe called for support of a Senate bill that would create a National Transportation Safety Board and other steps such as inspections of public transportation vehicles and strict drivers’ licensing.

She said the crash was a reminder of how dangerous public transportation is in the Philippines. “Sadly, the list of tragic road accidents and their casualties continue to increase because vehicles that are not roadworthy or even those we label as rolling coffins are still allowed to ply the roads with near impunity,” her statement said.</s>Manila , March 21 (IANS) Nineteen persons were killed in southern Philippines when a bus ran off a highway and plunged into a ravine. At least 25 others have been injured in the incident, authorities said.

The crash occurred around 9.30 p.m. on Tuesday in Sablayan town of Occidental Mindoro.

The bus driver lost control over the vehicle and it crashed, Acris Panillo, head of disaster risk management office said.</s>MANILA, March 21 (Reuters) - At least 19 passengers were killed and more than a dozen injured when a commuter bus crashed into a ravine south of the Philippine capital, Manila, on Tuesday evening, police said.

The bus hit a bridge railing and crashed into a 15-metre (50-feet) deep cliff in the province of Occidental Mindoro, provincial police director Senior Superintendent Romie Estepa told DZMM radio station on Wednesday.

"The driver lost control of the vehicle. We have yet to know if this is human or technical error," Estepa said.

The Philippines is notorious for its lax regulation on public transportation and poorly maintained roads. (Reporting by Neil Jerome Morales Editing by Paul Tait)</s>A passenger bus careened off a road and fell into a ravine south of the Philippine capital, killing 19 people and injuring 17 others, police said Wednesday.

The crash occurred Tuesday night in Sablayan town in Occidental Mindoro province as the bus was heading on a downhill stretch of road. The initial police report on the crash said the bus struck a bridge railing before it fell.

A mechanical problem may have caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle, police investigator Alexis Go told The Associated Press.

Police officer Ian Villanosa said the bus driver was among the dead and the part of the winding road where the accident happened had been under repair.

Highway fatalities are alarmingly high in the Philippines due to poor traffic law enforcement, the dilapidated conditions of vehicles, and a lack of safety features like signs and railings, especially in far-flung provinces.

A senator who advocates for traffic safety shared her sympathies to the families of the victims while also expressing rage that such accidents are preventable.

Sen. Grace Poe called for support of a Senate bill that would create a National Transportation Safety Board and other steps such as inspections of public transportation vehicles and strict drivers' licensing.

She said the crash was a reminder of how dangerous public transportation is in the Philippines. "Sadly, the list of tragic road accidents and their casualties continue to increase because vehicles that are not roadworthy or even those we label as rolling coffins are still allowed to ply the roads with near impunity," her statement said.

© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
A bus falls off a bridge in Occidental Mindoro, Philippines, killing at least 19 people and injuring 21 others.