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

A total of 14 people, including the bus driver, were killed in a road accident in Tanay, Rizal Monday.

In a text message to GMA News Online, Rizal PNP provincial director Sr. Supt. Randy Peralta confirmed the latest number of fatalities based on reports from the Tanay Police Station.

"That was the latest figure relayed by the Tanay Police Station a while ago, 14 fatalities including the driver," Peralta said.

Peralta said the identities of those killed have yet to be released.

Authorities earlier said that at least 10 passengers of the tourist bus transporting college students from Quezon City were declared dead on the spot. 

A radio dzBB update then quoted Research and Planning Officer Berlin Flores as saying that two others 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, Sr. Insp. Bamba Usana of the Rizal PNP Public Information Office cited a testimony by one witness who smelled burning rubber while enroute to their destination.

"In-account ng witness na nakatalon sa bus na may nangamoy na amoy sunog na bakal-to-bakal na dun na nakaramdam na rin yung witness na may mangyayari na puwedeng magkaron ng aksidente sa naamoy ng witness na yun. Nakatalon yung witness na yun from the bus," Usana said in an interview on GMA News TV's Balita Pilipinas.

Usana added that initial reports revealed the driver allegedly lost control of the bus when its brakes failed, forcing the vehicle to ram a nearby tree and electric post along Brgy. Sampaloc around 8:50 a.m.

An ongoing assessment on the accident is still being conducted by the Tanay PNP, according to Usana.

Meanwhile, Usana said the highway can be considered as an accident prone area due to its steep angle, but the accident is the first of its kind in the highway.

"Ngayon lang po nangyari yun sa area na yun. Maari nating sabihin na ccident prone yung area dahil sa matarik yung lugar," she said. — RSJ, GMA News