Mindanews: Death toll in Davao blast rises to 10

The death toll in a bomb blast in a Davao City-bound bus in Bansalan town in Davao del Sur province Friday rose to 10 after midnight Friday. Online news site MindaNews (www.mindanews.com) reported that as of 3 a.m. Saturday, the fatalities included the bus driver and conductor, and a soldier who tried to move out the bomb. Another homemade bomb also exploded at the Weena Bus terminal in Cotabato City some 15 minutes after the Bansalan blast but no one was reported injured. Donna Cortes, Red Cross volunteer from Digos City, said they recorded a total of nine dead with the conductor of Weena Bus 1104 seriously injured. Adelaida Badilla, social welfare officer of the Municipal Disaster Coordinating Council of Sta. Cruz, said bus conductor Rusty Antelino died in a hospital in Davao City. Most of the injured were rushed to hospitals in Digos City from Bansalan town, which only has clinics. But as the hospitals in Digos are not well-equipped, four patients including Antelino were transferred to Davao City. Initial investigation showed a male passenger left behind a bag that passengers feared contained a bomb. The homemade bomb exploded just as the bag was being brought out of the bus. A still unidentified female victim who was rushed to the provincial hospital in Digos along with Antelino and two others, also died. Her remains are in the Mariscal funeral parlor in Digos City, along with the bus driver’s and the soldier’s. Six of the fatalities were initially identified as Pepe Billote of Bansalan; Wilson Menel of Magsaysay; Ricardo Tulibas of Bansalan, Cpl. Daryl Potestas, the bus driver known as Lu; and Antelino. The three unidentified males and one female remained unidentified as of midnight Friday. - GMANews.TV