2 Foreign Tourists Killed As Bus Falls Into Ravine In Mountain Province

[earthdome]

Two foreigners were among 14 people killed when a tourist bus fell into a deep ravine in the mountainous northern Philippines on Friday, authorities said.

The bus plunged about 120 metres (nearly 400 feet) while travelling on a narrow road heading to an area famous for its "hanging coffins", said a report from the civil defence office.

A Canadian man and a Dutch woman were among the 14 passengers killed, it added.

Police said 32 other people on board were injured including another Dutch woman and the bus driver.

The deputy provincial police commander, Ramir Saculles, said disfigured corpses were strewn along the hillside, while some others fell into rice paddies at the bottom of the hill.

A local police spokesman, Davy Vicente Limmong, said the authorities suspect either the driver made a mistake or the bus suffered a mechanical failure, since no other vehicles were involved and the weather was clear.

The bus was heading to Bontoc, a jumping-off point for the rustic town of Sagada which is popular for its hanging coffins embedded on the sides of cliffs, as well as for its scenic atmosphere.

Poorly-maintained buses are the backbone of land transport in the Philippines but they have been involved in frequent accidents, leading to calls for tighter regulations.

 

Story with video at: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/02/07/14/2-foreign-tourists-killed-bus-falls-ravine-ph

[Jollygoodfellow]

Almost every day news in the Philippines. I guess this is why travel insurance is a good idea and not leave home without it. Human error is probably driving to fast for the conditions such as narrow winding road and combined with mechanical defects it seems almost every bus trip is a risk.  :unsure:

[MikeB]

They almost always mention mechanical failure but the biggest factor is carelessness and recklessness - speeding, passing on blind curves, trucks parked in the worst places blocking lanes and visibility. No enforcement and no regard for human life. Can't fix stupid.

[jpbago]

Almost every day news in the Philippines. I guess this is why travel insurance is a good idea and not leave home without it. Human error is probably driving to fast for the conditions such as narrow winding road and combined with mechanical defects it seems almost every bus trip is a risk.  :unsure:

 Lots of bus accidents all over the world: http://www.mapreport.com/subtopics/d/bus.accident.html#2013

[joeatmanila]

I totally agree with MikeB.

Almost daily I drive the killer avenue, Commonwealth Avenue, which is perhaps the widest road in Philippines.

The way these buses drive is unbelievable. They overpass you on a turn, with half inch distance and 100km/h, I can write a book mentioning all the dangerous/criminal driving they do. All that due to the profit since the driver is getting paid with commission on the tickets and therefore is driving like hell to reach first and load as many passengers as possible. As for maintenance...some of them their suspension is broken and have a 5degrees inclination, still they are on the street and run faster than the fast and furious movie...

Government in the past asked to put the drivers on salary so they at least minimize this killer driving with these coffins they drive. The bus companies owners popped up that it violates the constitutional rights of the drivers...what about the constitutional rights of their victims though...not even a word. so this ended there. Then there was the proposal to move their terminals from all over edsa to north and south of manila (according to their routes) so these buses do not have to cross the city with all the related problems of a huge parking lot called edsa. Then someone said that this will cause heavy traffic at north and south and this plan was abandoned too.

It seems to me that no one can tell anything to these companies of the buses/coffins, neither to regulate them.

Personally I do not ride them, I did twice cause I had no other option and I regretted it but God thanks nothing happened to me, not even a letter I wouldn't send through these things.

[earthdome]

Not all bus companies are the same. The vast majority I would not ride because they use older buses, so I don't ride older buses without aircon. But there are some bus companies on Luzon who provide good quality service on the longer routes. An example is Victory Liner, especially their buses with aircon and wifi. On many of their routes they only pickup passengers at their own bus terminals.

[Jollygoodfellow]

As I said almost daily.......  :1 (103):

 

Five people have been killed in a bus crash in the northern Philippines, the second deadly bus accident in two days.

 

Five people have been killed in a bus crash in the northern Philippines, the second deadly bus accident in two days.

 

Police say the bus was carrying more than 30 people when its brakes malfunctioned and it toppled into a ditch in the northern province of Abra on Saturday.

 

One person died at the scene and four others in hospital, said regional military spokesman Superintendent Davy Vicente Limmong.

 

Twenty-eight people were injured in Saturday's crash.

 

The accident comes a day after a tourist bus plunged into a deep ravine in a remote northern mountain pass, killing fourteen people.

 

The bus which crashed on Friday was headed to the mountain town of Bontoc, a popular tourist jumping-off point to a rustic mountain town famed for hanging coffins embedded on the sides of a cliff.

 

Presidential spokesman Herminio Coloma says a nationwide safety audit of all public transport has been ordered.

 

"We are investigating the roadworthiness of all types of public transportation, specially buses and public utility vehicles that are the main mode of transportation nationwide," he said.

 

Mr Coloma says initial investigations showed that the bus that killed 14 people on Friday was not authorised to travel that route.

 

Old buses are the backbone of land transport in the Philippines. But they have been involved in frequent accidents due to poorly-lit and badly-maintained roads and drivers working long hours.

 

http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2014-02-09/five-killed-in-philippines-bus-accident/1261754

[Malcolm Graham]

The decision to make North and South bus terminals has not been abandoned.  Tenders are due in April for these.  Only those Provincial bus company's without terminals in Manila have to stop and unload passengers.  Coastal Mall is the temporary SW terminal and is bringing in lots of cash for that company which is classed as an insolvent company.  Travelling the route once a week its quite scary, you have to get of a modern airconed bus and transfer to a jeepney,UV or some dilapidated  city bus.  I normal try and catch a bus that has a terminal in Cubao or Lawton but you only get 1 or 2 ever so often now and they are always crowded.  As Earthdome says some of the Provincial bus company's like victory liner are extremely safe and comfortable.  And I believe he is in Baquio maybe he could post some pictures of their terminal.

[Malcolm Graham]

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2014/02/10/1288620/1-jeepney-52-passengers-5-killed

 

52 and a driver in a jeepney

[FlyAway]

Last month the wife and I traveled a lot by bus. We will not ride "Ordinary fare." Those buses just look and sound like death traps.

 

We have ridden Air Conditioned Victory Liner and 5 Star in Northern Luzon with no issues or concerns. Air conditioned buses in Mindanao were good. We traveled Davao to Panabo and back. Then I had a wild idea to travel to Butuan. Long ride there with a few stops but never any worries about the way they were driving. We took a bus from Guadalupe in Manila to Lucena and back. No issues with them either. Everyone drove no faster than 80kph on the open road. No crazy passing. 

 

The incident in Manila with the bus falling off the expressway was also fresh in their minds!