4 dead, scores hurt in truck-bus collision on SCTEX

Four people were killed while more than 40 others were hurt when a tourist bus collided with a truck on the northbound lane of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) in the area of Concepcion, Tarlac.

Interviewed on Dobol B sa News TV, Ronald Bautista of Concepcion's Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office said the bus was carrying barangay officials from Naic, Cavite, on a trip to Baguio City.

All the still unidentified fatalities were at Concepcion District Hospital, Bautista said.

In an earlier interview on Unang Balita, Robin Ignacio, traffic manager and spokesman for NLEX-SCTEX, said the bus (plate number BEK 523) was carrying some 50 people, all of them hurt.

"Yung sakay ng bus, mga 50 kasama yung driver, ang report halos lahat po ay may iniinda, sugatan 'yung iba," Ignacio said.

A separate report by Alan Gatus on Dobol B sa News TV said based on police records, 48 people were hurt in the accident.

Initial investigation showed the bus rammed the rear of the truck.

"Yung pong initial na investigation ay maabilis talaga 'yung bus habang 'yung truck ay nasa 60kph," Ignacio said, adding that they are looking into whether the bus' driver fell asleep while on the wheel.  —KBK, GMA News