Police released to the Mindanao Examiner photos of ill-fated bus in Zamboanga Sibugay province that injured at least 20 people.
ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY (Mindanao Examiner / Feb. 15, 2014) – A chartered bus fell on its side following a near collision before dawn Saturday with another vehicle injuring at least 20 passengers in the southern Philippines, police said.
Chief Inspector Ariel Huesca, a regional police spokesman, said the bus, carrying mostly teachers from Basilan province, came from Marawi City and heading to Zamboanga City when the mishap occurred on a highway in the village called Monching in Zamboanga Sibugay’s Siay town.
He said the passengers came from the regional school sports competition. The wounded, he said, were brought to hospital in Kabasalan town. “They were all brought to the hospital for medical treatment and police are investigating the accident,” Huesca told the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.
The 48-year old bus driver, Pepito Buot, told police investigators that he avoided a collision with another vehicle from the opposite lane of the road on the dark highway and the bus – owned by Rural Transit Mindanao – swerved and fell on its side injuring the passengers.
Just recently, a mini van carrying mostly athletes also fell in a cliff in the town of Buug in Zamboanga Sibugay and killing its driver and injuring 14 passengers. The driver Abdulajid Lukman, a resident of Zamboanga City, lost control of the wheel on a curve road near Bulaan village and fell into the cliff. The wounded, including teachers and a school nurse, were rushed to hospital.
The van was on its way to Marawi City in Lanao del Sur province to bring the athletes to the venue of the annual sports competition of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Athletic Association. The athletes were part of a delegation from Sulu province.
The regional sports competition is a project of the Department of Education of the autonomous government which is participated by Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao. (Mindanao Examiner)
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