Overloading seen as cause of Nueva Ecija bus mishap

Overloading could have caused the ill-fated LeoMaric minibus to lose control and fall into a deep ravine in Carranglan, Nueva Ecija, a local disaster management official told GMA News on Tuesday.

At least 32 were killed in the accident, reported Raffy Tima on GMA News TV's "State of the Nation.:

"According po doon sa driver namin na dating driver ng bus, itong size ng bus na 'to around 50 po 'yung karga... 45-50. Pero sa account na 69 po overloaded na po," said Kennedy Baluyan, an officer of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council in Sta. Fe town.

"Ang nangyari po daw is sumabog 'yung harap na gulong although bago siya pero sa side 'yung tama niya so bago nga po 'yung gulong pero sa sobra siguro ng karga, nakuwan doon sa right side. So obviously kapag right side ang sumabog, kakabig po siya sa kanan. May makikita naman pong skid mark," Baluyan added.

Baluyan also said a similar incident already happened five years ago.

"Actually may harang 'yan noon and may nahulog na po prior to this kaya unfortunately hindi pa po narestore," he said.

The incident happened at past 11 a.m. in Barangay Capintalan.

The minibus, bound for Candon, Ilocos Sur, fell into an 80- to 100-foot ravine.

As of posting time, the operator of the bus has yet to issue a statement regarding the incident. —Anna Felicia Bajo/NB, GMA News