Dutch, Canadian among fatalities: 14 dead, 29 injuredin Bontoc bus accident

  

By Gina Dizon

BONTOC, Mountain Province -- A vehicular accident  reportedly due to loose brakes  resulted to the  death of  14 passengers  and  29  injured  Feb. 7 around 7:30 a.m. when a Florida  Bus loaded with 42 passengers  including  two drivers and the conductor fell  some 120 meters  from the road  here between  Talubin and Bayyo barangays.

Police reports from Bontoc Police Station as relayed by  provincial police officer Rector Bumahit  revealed  among those confirmed dead were six  unidentified persons and  eight  identified passengers  namely  MarcialBarando, Andrew Sicam, Natividad Ngawa, Gerald  Baja, Ana Alaba, Arvin Jimenez,  and foreigners Alex Laring from Canada and Ana Van Deven from the Netherlands.

Among those injured foreigners was Bernard Bunhard from Netherlands.

Five injured were transferred to Luis Hora Hospital in Bauko town and the rest treated at Bontoc General Hospital. 

Also injured were driver Edgar RaynonJerymiahAgnapan, AgungSicam, Silvestre Dawey, Ammelok, Codiamat,Teresita Sawad, MelchorSuagen, Camille Osorio, Christian Conrado, Alexander Longlong,  Kristina De Leon, Naty Bang-i, Robert Conrado, AbyAtin, James Posao, Carina Hairer, Basilan Miluardo, Abegail Sicam, Edgar Kemon, WenseslawSiano, Michael Ligito, Jun Chavez, Jason Melchor, Olivia Aglipay, Charlie Santamaria, PaengCordove,  and a certain brother of AgungSikam.

The bus driven by Alexander Lucas Longalong from Nueva Ecija and Edgar Mendoza Raynon from Pangasinan was owned by operator Jun Florida. Florida Bus is a regular public utility vehicle carrying passengers from  Manila to Bontoc and vice versa.