5 dead, 23 injured in Camarines Sur bus crash

MANILA, Philippines — Five people died and 23 others were injured after a passenger bus fell into a ravine in Del Gallego, Camarines Sur yesterday.

Capt. Bernie Undecimo, Del Gallego town police chief, said a DLTB bus from Cubao, Quezon City plunged into the ravine 10 meters deep along Andaya Highway in Barangay Magais I at 3:25 a.m.

Citing the accounts of survivors, Undecimo said the driver became unconscious and lost control of the steering wheel.

“According to the observation of some passengers, the driver was either sleepy or had a heart attack, and the bus swerved and plunged into the ravine,” Undecimo told dzBB in Filipino.

The alternate driver told investigators that he and the driver had swapped posts upon reaching Tabogo town in Camarines Norte before proceeding to their destination in Gubat, Sorsogon.

Vigor Mendoza II, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board chair, said the LTFRB has launched an investigation into the fatal crash and would issue a show-cause order to the bus company.

“We already received a copy of the police report and it was mentioned there that the driver fell asleep, and this led to the road crash,” Mendoza said in a statement. “So in the hearing, we will go deeper into determining if the proper protocols to ensure the mental and physical readiness of designated drivers were followed in this case.”

According to the police report, a 60-year-old woman was among the fatalities.

At least 15 people, including the driver and alternate driver, were seriously injured and brought to a hospital in Tagkawayan, Quezon for treatment. Others were treated for minor injuries.

Initial verification by the LTFRB showed that the bus is registered under Del Motor Works Inc. and is operating under a 2022 certificate of public convenience that is set to expire in March 2026.

Mendoza said the LTFRB would coordinate with the bus company’s insurance provider to fast-track the release of benefits to the victims and their families.