7 die, 50 hurt as bus falls into gorge in Quezon

A passenger bus fell into 30-foot narrow valley along a zigzag road in Pagbilao town in Quezon, killing at least seven people before dawn Monday. Authorities also took more than 50 passengers to the Jane County Hospital in Pagbilao. Meanwhile, the fatalities were taken to Funeraria Pagbilao in the town. It was the fourth passenger bus to have been involved in a fatal accident recorded since 2004, GMA-7’s 24 oras reported. Up to 17 people have died and another 195 injured in the four accidents.

The ill-fated RJ Transit bus (with plate number EVH-664) departed from Camarines Sur and was bound for Manila when it fell into the ravine in Barangay (village) Sapinit in Pagbilao. Authorities said the seven fatalities included the driver, Victor Argones, passengers Eduardo Onan, Juvie Entorino, 5-year-old Kyla Marie Argones, while three others remained unidentified as of press time. The bus operator could reportedly face charges of reckless imprudence resulting to multiple homicide and injuries. Quezon police told DZBB that the driver tried to overtake another vehicle when the latter lost control of the bus. The incident occurred at around 2:30 a.m. Monday. “Ang ginawa ko sa anak ko nang maramdaman kong nasa ere na kami at parang lumilipad, niyakap ko siya tapos ang ulo niya tinakpan ko ng kamay ko," said Eden de Quiros, who was with her 14-year-old daughter, who also survived, during the incident. According to one of the passengers, the bus was traveling at high speed when the accident happened. Some employees of RJ Transit were later seen to have rushed to the accident site, and proceeded to paint over the bus' company markings and license plate, supposedly so other passengers won't be scared riding the firm's buses. Pagbilao town is classified as a first-class municipality located on the northern shore of Tayabas Bay. One of the Philippines' largest power plant stations is found in the town.-GMANews.TV, with a report from inq7.net