A passenger bus has careened off a winding, dirt road and fell into a ravine south of the Philippines capital Manila, killing 19 people and injuring 17 others, authorities say.
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.
Australian Associated Press
