20 dead, 57 hurt in Quezon smashup

ATIMONAN, Quezon, Philippines – Twenty passengers, including three children, were killed while 57 others were injured in a multiple vehicle collision along the Diversion Road in barangay Sta. Catalina here early yesterday.

Chief Superintendent Jesus Gatchalian, Calabarzon police director, said the driver of a 10-wheeler truck with license plate RMK 220 lost control when the vehicle suffered mechanical trouble, ramming a Bicol-bound Superlines bus with body number 441.

This prompted the driver of the Superlines bus to lose control and jump over to the opposite lane.

It was at this time that the bus smashed into six other vehicles bound for Manila, including an Isarog bus (TYX-985), DLTB bus (UYA 669), three trucks and a jeepney.

Police said the 10-wheeler truck, which was loaded with poultry and hog feeds, was descending a steep, wet and winding road when its propeller shaft gave way, prompting it to hit the Superlines bus.

The driver of the Superlines bus, Albert Nava, is now detained at the Atimonan jail.

Senior Superintendent Ronaldo Ylagan, Quezon police director, told The STAR in a phone interview that all the fatalities died on the spot.

“Most of the fatalities were passengers of Superlines because it was the first vehicle that the 10-wheeler truck hit,” Ylagan said.

Probers said the Diversion Road is considered an accident-prone area.

Twelve of the fatalities were identified as Nexter Camacho, Ma. Theresa Diezmo, Perfecto Zano, Henry Malaluan, Ronie Villeja (Camarines Sur), Noe Nunez, Danilo Espencilla (Camarines Norte), Michael Villamor (Rosario, Batangas), Ibn Rajick Muksan II (Oriental Mindoro), Rene Jimenez, Jodelyn Consuelo and John Omar Talicol.

Eight other casualties, among them three children, remained unidentified as of press time.

Meanwhile, the 57 passengers who were injured were brought to the Doña Marta Memorial Hospital and Emil Joahna Hospital in Atimonan and to the Gumaca District Hospital and other hospitals in Lucena City for treatment. Eleven of those injured were children.

In an interview with radio station dzMM, survivor Jason Villanueva said he was able to escape from one of the buses through a broken window.

“The rescuers could not enter the bus to get the victims. There were many passengers who were crying inside the bus but I also saw several who were already dead,” he said.

Probers said officials and representatives of the Superlines bus company promised to cooperate in the investigation and provide assistance to the victims. – With Ed Amoroso