Bus plunges off bridge: 1 dead, 38 hurt

CEBU, Philippines - A 60-year-old man died while 38 others were injured as a Ro-Ro bus overshot and plunged the Calaugan Bridge at Brgy. Poblacion in Tibiao town of Antique.

The fatality, Mariano Geriane, was sitting in the middle portion of the Ceres bus (UVN-727) with his younger brother, Salvador, when the incident happened around 5:30 a.m. of yesterday. The impact caused Mariano to be thrown out of his seat.

Salvador said he has been residing in Laguna while Mariano has been in Cavite. They met in Alabang to go home to Guimbal, Iloilo because their mother has just died.

Of the 38 injured passengers, only one now remains in hospital confinement.

Senior Supt. Marlon Ganzon, Antique Police chief, said the bus was carrying 66 passengers, excluding the driver and bus conductor. It left Quezon City at around 11a.m. last Thursday and was on its way to Iloilo City yesterday.

Most of the passengers were dozing off when the Ceres Bus made a 4-meter nosedive from the bridge.

Salvador attested that the bus was slowing down when it made an approach on the bridge but it suddenly sped off seconds later.

“Sabi nung driver, hindi naman daw sya naka-idlip. But aside from the possibility na na-idlip sya, we also look at the possibility that he got disoriented kaya yung naapakan niya gas na sa halip ay brake,” Ganzon said.

The area is on a blind curve road and has no proper railings, he added.  Thus, residents considered the site as accident-prone.  (FREEMAN)