Pregnant woman, son killed, 24 others hurt

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — A pregnant woman and her son died, while 24 other passengers were injured, when the bus they were riding fell off a bridge in Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental Tuesday, police said.

Killed were 27-year-old Rochelle Lagahit, who was five months pregnant, and her son, Cyrill John, 7, both residents of Barangay Tagda in Hinigaran town. They died on the spot, according to PO1 Rene Munez, traffic investigator of the Himamaylan Police.

Munez said the mini-bus, driven by Benjie Himalaya, slammed into the barrier of the bridge and plunged into the river at Brgy. Caradio-an.

Himalaya, who was driving the vehicle from Kabankalan City and bound for Bacolod, may have fallen asleep and this led to the accident, investigations showed.

The mother and son were seated behind the driver, and might have been hit by hard objects, that caused their deaths, Munez said.

The 24 other passengers, including Himalaya and the fare collector, were rescued from the fallen bus, and rushed to the Valeriano Gatuslao Memorial Hospital in Himamaylan and to the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in Bacolod City, Munez added. - THE FREEMAN