20 killed as bus plunges into ravine in Philippines

MANILA - Twenty people were killed Sunday when a tourist bus carrying mostly Iranian nationals plunged into a ravine in the central Philippines, police said.

Senior Superintendent Erson Digal said the bus was en route to the town of Balamban in Cebu province, 585 km south of Manila, when the accident occurred.

“We have so far retrieved 20 bodies,” he added.

Authorities said the bus was carrying about 50 passengers, mostly Iranian nursing and medical students from Cebu Doctors’ University.

Thirty injured people were rushed to different hospitals in Balamban, and some were airlifted to nearby Cebu City.

Digal said an initial investigation showed that the bus was travelling fast while negotiating a downhill curve on the road, causing it to plummet into the 30-metre-deep ravine.

Balamban Mayor Alex Binghay said the victims were on their way to a beach in town when the accident happened.