Death toll now 42 in Benguet bus mishap

BUS ACCIDENT -- Forty two people were killed in this passenger bus when it plunged a 150-foot ravinr along Naguillan Road in Barangay Bangangan,Sablan Benguet on Wednesday. The ill-flated bus was en route to San Fernando, La Union when it developed mechanical problem, missed a sharp curve and fell into the ravine. --TOOTS SOBERANO

SABLAN, Benguet – The death toll in the Aug. 18 bus accident along Naguillian road in this town has risen to 42 with eight injured while most of the dead were interred in Baguio funeral parlors, around 20 km from here.

This, as Arsenio Mones owner of the ill-fated bus told reporters he had been hiding due to death threats against him after the accident. He added he would help the victims even if he would lose all his properties.

Forty two passengers were killed when the La Union-bound ESO-Nice bus (AYB-549) fell down a 150-foot ravine here around 9:20 that morning.

Eight were injured including the driver identified as Romeo Subang Jr. and bus conductor John Patrick Flores.

Police said the bus carrying 49 people lost its brakes before falling the mountain here along Sitio Guiwing, Barangay Amba-cua, Banangan.

Police identified some of the fatalities as Johnson Dimalanta, Frederick and Rose Quinos and their children Nicole and Michael, Berio Almasen, Carlos Angeles, Amethyst Calado, Enrique Hao, Renato Limid, Rex Arsichu, Constantino Casugay, Glen Lustica, Octavio Polon, Francisco Sales, Jon Laigo, Joy Combis, Pastora Daweg, Marlon Paleg, Gabino Pilay, Pablito Diocenes, Roger Torida and Karen Mae Piluden.

Thirteen others, four of them Filipino-Americans, were unidentified as of press time.
Eight people survived the mishap and were rushed to the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center.

They were identified as Sonny Ayaten, Desiree Jura, Arnel Paras, Juantri Gutcha, Jay Angelo, Flores and an unidentified man.

Flores said Subang was negotiating a sharp curve while trying to shift to second gear but lost control of the bus.

Subang reportedly tried to prevent the disaster by ramming the bus on concrete barriers along the roadside to slow down its descent but failed.

Sensing danger, Flores said he jumped out of the vehicle before it fell into the ravine.

It was around 8:27 a.m. when the bus left Baguio to San Fernando City, La Union carrying 25 people but along the way, picked up more passengers who were included in the accident.

Flores, who escaped with bruises, told reporters they were still far from the accident site when they noticed difficulty with the clutch in changing gears.

He said they were on a sloping part of the road when the driver tried to change gears to slow down but the gears locked so the driver immediately stepped on the breaks which failed.

The bus was running fast and plunged down the ravine.

The driver reportedly tried to maneuver the bus onto a mango tree to prevent it from falling, but failed.

Among the 42 people killed was a baby who was born inside the La Paz Funeral Homes by her mother who was already dead.

The victims were rushed to different hospitals and funeral homes, where 10 were rushed to Benguet General Hospital and nine to Baguio General Hospital.

The dead were brought to Baguio Memorial Chapel and Lapaz Memorial Chapel where their relatives identified them.

Meanwhile, Senior Supt. Wilben Mayor of the Benguet provincial police office reportedly went to the area to supervise and assist in rescue and retrieval operations.

Mayor said one of the victims was pinned down in the wreckage of the bus, making it hard for operatives to retrieve the remains.

The police official said the bus could have avoided falling down the ravine if it hit the tree or a nipa hut on the edge of the road.

He said the skid mark of the vehicle showed the bus passed between the house and the tree.

Benguet Gov. Nestor Fongwan immediately formed the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council and personally supervised rescue and retrieval operations in the area that lasted for over six hours.

Mayor said over 50 people from the provincial government, local police and Philippine Army took part in the operations. “The victims were taken out of the wreckage through stretchers and most of them suffered severe bone fractures,” he said.

He said the incident will be investigated thoroughly to determine if it was an accident or caused by human error.

In recent years, Banangan had been the site of numerous vehicular mishaps claiming scores of lives.

This, as Department of Transportation and Communications regional director Federico Mandapat Jr., ordered the cancelation of operations of Eso Nice bus company for 30 days while they check conditions of the firm’s buses

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board suspended the ESO-Nice franchise pending an investigation by the LTFTB regional office.

LTFRB chairman Dante Lantin said aside from the ill-fated bus, three other units were also covered by the franchise until June 2011.

ESO-Nice Bus Transport Service is managed by the Nisce family in La Union but the unit involved in the accident was reportedly owned by a certain Arsenio Monis of Bilis, Burgos, La Union and was only connected with the franchise.

“Let me clarify that the bus is not ours but owned by an associate (in the franchise). Passengers and the bus were covered by insurance,” said La Union Vice Gov. Aureo Nisce when asked about the incident.

Lantin said that apart from investigating possible lapses on the part of the bus company, the government will also make sure all victims in the accident will be attended to by the bus company’s insurance provider.

He said the families of those who died will each receive P60,000 in assistance, while those who were injured will be given P12,500. Hospitalization expenses beyond the insurance coverage will be shouldered by the bus firm. – With a report from Dennis R. Khan