A 17-year-old pedestrian was killed and 19 others were injured after a Manila-bound passenger bus plunged into a 20-foot ravine Thursday night in Gumaca, Quezon, police reported Friday.
Police identified the fatality only as ‘Joshua,’ a resident of Barangay Inagbuhan Ilaya in Gumaca. His companion, ‘Ivan,’ 16, was among those injured.
According to the Quezon police, the Bobis Liner bus, driven by a man named only as ‘Arnel,’ 44, was navigating a curved, downhill stretch of the diversion road in Barangay Villa Arcaya around 9 p.m. when it reportedly suffered a mechanical failure that caused the crash.
The driver lost control of the vehicle, hitting the two pedestrians before the bus careened off the road and plunged into a ravine about 20 feet deep.
Joshua died instantly after being run over by the bus, while 18 of the 29 passengers were injured and taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Rescue teams from the local government responded quickly to the scene and assisted in evacuating the victims.
Police said the bus driver is now under custody at the Gumaca municipal police station as authorities continue their investigation into the fatal crash