CEBU, Philippines - At least 15 people, including four children, were killed while 48 others were injured when a bus of Corominas Bros. lost its brakes and grazed against a concrete wall along the road while negotiating a blind curve in Lutopan, (now Barangay Don Andres Soriano) Toledo City late afternoon yesterday.
The bus, bearing plate number GVG 145, left Cebu City at 4 p.m. and was traveling towards the northern town of Tuburan when the accident happened around 5:45 pm.
The right side of the bus was badly damaged after the vehicle grazed a concrete wall along the road.
The passengers who died and got injured were also sitting at the right side of the bus.
The driver, diosdado requizo, said he chose to graze the bus against the wall to prevent it from crashing right into a school. He said he only wanted to prevent more people from getting injured because he saw many people at the school during that time.
Traffic investigator po3 julius sanchez said 10 passengers were killed on the spot while five others died later at the toledo city hospital.
Requizo himself reportedly went stiff, perhaps from shock, when the bus halted that a driver of a motorcycle-for-hire had to pull him out of his seat and bring him to the police station for his safety.
The fatalities were brought to the st. Francis memorial home. Five of them were identified as alfredo pastillas, 55, of toledo city; flordelez benting, 37, of tuburan; her son cyril, 10; her adopted son sian vincent bazarte, 5; and maximo agsoy, 55, og tuboran.
The bus has a seating capacity of 53 persons, but sanchez said about 60 to 70 passengers were on board yesterday, several of whom were already standing on the aisle.
A report over dyab said the franchise of the bus has allegedly expired since 2004, based on records of the land transportation office. This was reportedly determined using the gps vehicle tracking system.
The site of the accident is reportedly an accident prone area and the concrete wall was built purposely to prevent vehicles from ramming into the houses behind should an accident occurs.
In a statement sent to the freeman last night, corominas bros. Expressed its condolences to the families of the victims and assured that it will not abandon its responsibilities.
“corominas bros. Stands by its commitment as operator. We will not renege from our responsibility to those who were injured and to the casualties. Even as we await for the official findings of the proper investigating agencies we are also, on our own, double checking all units to ensure the safety of the riding public most of whom we’ve known and served well for more than three decades,” the statement reads.
Former board member ma. Victoria “tata” corominas, one of the owners of the bus line, also echoed the assurance.
“among atubangon ang responsibilidad, gastohan sa hospital ug assistance sa mga nangamatay,” she said.
Fourth accident in a month
Yesterday’s accident occurred barely two weeks after a prime mover truck carrying two twenty-foot container vans lost its breaks and plowed through a crowd in barangay poog, also in toledo city at the eve of a feast on june 22. Four people were killed while eight others were injured in that accident.
Nine days before that on june 13, at least 21 people, including 20 iranians, died when a bus owned by jt rent-a-car plunged into a 50-foot ravine in cansomoroy, balamban.
The most recent accident happened on june 24 when a unit of ceres bus fell on its side while traveling in barangay damolog in the northern town of sogod. Two of the 12 injured people – a three-year-old girl and a 79-year-old woman – sustained fractures and injuries to the leg and arm.
Lto-7 assistant regional director edgar catarongan said operations of all buses of corominas bros. Will be suspended and will be subjected to a road worthiness test. All its drives will be required to undergo a seminar and drug test.catarongan said he is hesitant to believe that the accident was due to brake malfunction.
“ang akung tan-aw wala ni sya nawad-an og brake. Possible na tungod overloaded sa kadaghang pasahero, nawad-an siya og balance kay pababa man gud ni sya,” catarongan said.
He said the driver is looking at multiple homicide charges and revocation of his license.
Meanwhile, romeo golle, district engineer of the department of public works and highways, said there were enough traffic signs along the road telling drivers to slow down. He said it is possible that the driver ignored the warnings and drove faster than what is advisable.
“wala gyud ta nagkulang sa signage. Tan-aw nako, wala gyud s’ya naghinay,” golle said.
Because of the accident, however, dpwh will reportedly install additional traffic signage. They will reportedly get the budget from the incoming p30 million appropriation for road repair in toledo city.
Officials of the pnp highway patrol group once again appealed for motorists to follow the speed limit as provided under republic act 4136 or the land transportation and traffic code to avoid road accidents.
The allowed speed limit in country roads is 80 kilometers per hour for cars and motorcycles and 50 kilometers per hour for trucks and buses.
Forty kilometers per hour for cars and motorcycles and 30 kilometers per hour for trucks and buses in boulevards clear of traffic with no blind corners.
In city and municipal streets with light traffic, the law provides a speed limit of 30 kilometers per hour for cars, motorcycles, trucks, and buses, including those in crowded streets approaching intersections at blind corners and passing school zones.
Former dilg secretary ronaldo puno earlier ordered the personnel of the highway patrol group to increase police visibility on national roads and other major thoroughfares and step up its crackdown against the violators. —with rene u. Borromeo/jmo (FREEMAN NEWS)