NORTH COTABATO, Philippines - Seventeen commuters were badly hurt on Tuesday when a wayward jeepney plunged into a cliff along a secluded stretch of a highway in President Roxas town in North Cotabato, police said.
In an initial statement, the President Roxas police office said the jeepney, owned by Ali Budzal Abedin, first plowed through the protective steel railings along the highway before it fell off.
Investigators said there were indications that the brake system of the vehicle malfunctioned while its driver was maneuvering on a downhill curve before reaching the portion of the highway with a steep side.
The injured jeepney passengers were bound for Arakan town in North Cotabato from Kidapawan City.
The victims were rushed by responding local officials and policemen to different hospitals, according to a report by Catholic station dxND at the provincial capital, Kidapawan City.