21 dead as bus falls onto van in Philippines
At least 21 people have been killed and about 20 others injured when a passenger bus plunged from an elevated highway and fell onto a van in suburban Manila, a Philippine police official said.
Police Superintendent Elizabeth Velasquez said the bus veered off the highway and crashed onto a van passing below in suburban Paranaque city at dawn today.
Both drivers were killed in the incident.
TV footage showed a number of bodies strewn around the bus wreckage with police officers milling around. The van was an unrecognisable pile of smashed white metal.
Ivy Vidal, spokeswoman of the corporation running the Skyway, as the elevated road is called, said it was not clear what caused the accident but added that it was wet due to rain.
Irene Sisperes, a motorist who witnessed the accident, said she was driving with her daughter at 80kph (50 mph) when the bus overtook her car.
She estimated that the bus was travellling at between 100kph (62 mph) and 110 kph (68 mph).
She said it was still dark and it was raining when the accident happened.
āAfter a few metres, I saw the bus fell and I shouted, āThe bus fell, the bus fellā,ā she told DZMM radio, adding there were no other cars nearby.
Ms Sisperes said she saw the damaged railing of the highway and some debris and reported the incident at the toll gate.
