8-vehicle smashup kills 19 in Quezon

MANILA, Philippines - At least 19 people were killed and 66 hurt on Saturday after a trailer truck lost control and caused an eight-vehicle smashup in Barangay Santa Catalina, Atimonan, Quezon.

Initial police investigation revealed that the trailer truck was going down a steep road at around 1:30 a.m. when it lost control and hit a Superlines bus bound for Capalonga, Camarines Sur.

The strength of the collision caused the bus to lose it brakes and cause multiple collisions among two vans, two buses, two trucks and a jeep. It was raining at the time of the accident.

Police said most of the fatalities were passengers of the Superlines bus, government employees who attended a seminar.

Among those killed were children and sleeping passengers who were thrown out of the bus.

The bodies were brought to Funeraria Pagbilao in Lucena City while the injured were rushed to hospitals in Atimonan, Gumaca, Lucena and Pagbilao in Quezon.