Death toll in Tanay bus accident climbs to 13

UPDATED STORY: Bus driver among 14 killed in Tanay road accident – Rizal PNP

The death toll in the road accident involving a tourist bus in Tanay, Rizal has climbed to 13, the Response Mobile Team of Tanay said Monday.

Research and Planning Officer Berlin Flores said the death toll increased to 13 from the initial count of 10, according to an update from dzBB Super Radyo. 

UPDATE:13 na ang patay sa aksidente sa Tanay Rizal ayon kay Berlin Flores, Research & Planning Officer ng Response Mobile Team ng Tanay. pic.twitter.com/Y23wkubhW4

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) February 20, 2017

Flores said the 10 casualties were declared dead on the spot. Two were dead on arrival at the Rizal Provincial Hospital, and one fatality was reported by the Rizal Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office in a hospital in Antipolo City.

Meanwhile, Flores said the driver of the tourist bus was still in 50-50 critical condition.

In an interview on Balitanghali, Sr. Insp. Maria Lourdes Usana from the Rizal Philippine National Police Public Information Office said the accident occurred at around 8:50 a.m. in Brgy. Sampaloc.

Usana said the tourist bus was transporting more or less 45 college students from Quezon City at the time of the accident.

She said initial reports revealed that the driver allegedly lost control of the bus when its brakes failed, forcing the vehicle to ram a nearby tree and electric post.

"Initial report po sa amin na-lose control po ang driver, allegedly, at nawalan daw po ng break. Nag-reach sila sa curved road tapos po nag-ram po sila sa isang Meralco post at sa isang puno," she said.

No other motor vehicle was involved in the road mishap, according to Usana.

She said no information yet has been given by the Tanay PNP regarding the school where the students came from. —Joseph Tristan Roxas/KG, GMA News