Bus in deadly Mindoro crash lost brakes —initial investigation

The Dimple Star bus unit which fell off a cliff in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro on Tuesday evening may have had brake failure before the accident, initial investigation showed.

Sablayan municipal administrator Alfredo Ventura told Balitanghali on Wednesday that the bus, which came from a zigzag road, gained speed going downhill and failed to stop before it fell off a cliff at the boundary of Barangay Batong Buhay and Barangay San Agustin.

"Ang initial findings po namin, kasi 'yung pinanggalingan ay manggagaling sa zigzag road na pababa. Tapos bago 'yung approach ng tulay," Ventura said in an interview.

"Siguro sa bilis ng takbo ng bus, sa initial findings namin, ay nawalan ng brake at tumuloy, du'n, dumeretso du'n sa bangin sa tabi ng tulay. At doon, eh 'di malalim, at may butas doon, at doon nauna 'yung ulo ng bus," he added.

At least 19 people have been confirmed killed when the passenger bus broke through the railings of the Patrick Bridge at around 9 p.m. on Tuesday evening.

Ventura said the site of the drop was where a flood control project was being constructed. 

Meanwhile, some of at least 21 people injured in the incident were still under observation as of Wednesday.

Citing a report from the Sablayan Municipal Police Station, Mindoro provincial director Superintendent Romie Estepa had said on Unang Balita on Wednesday that bus driver Arno Panganiban was among those dead "on the spot."

Meanwhile, in a separate interview on Balitanghali, Dimple Star bus company legal counsel Cesar Cainglet said the bus company expressed their condolences to the victims' kin.

He said the bus company was exerting efforts to coordinate with the families and go over the insurance coverage for the casualties.

"Wala lang akong figure, pero definitely meron silang matatanggap," Cainglet said.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said it will issue a preventive suspension order on Dimple Star.

"Nakausap na namin si BM (Board Member) [Aileen] Lizada. For the day, hindi na kami pinapalabas at kami naman ay tatalima sa order ng LTFRB," Canglet said.

Asked about the few bus units found to have bald tires during the LTFRB's investigation on Wednesday, Cainglet clarified that the units were only to be "transported" to Marikina.

"Ina-assure namin si BM Lizada na hindi namin gagalawin 'yan kasi may dikit na issue 'yun na haharapin namin 'yun and kung ano mang kautusan ng LTFRB about it," said Cainglet. —Margaret Claire Layug/KG, GMA News