SIXTEEN people escaped death after a passenger bus turned turtle along Km.25 Halsema Highway, Caliking, Atok, Benguet on May 1.
In an initial police report, the Bontoc, Mountain Province bound bus operated by Rising Sun Bus Company driven by Regan Bullion Ginoban, 33, was traversing the Baguio-Bontoc road when the vehicle encountered a mechanical defect.
Ginoban rammed the bus on the mountain slope, bumped one electric post and fell on its side.
Victims were brought at the Benguet General hospital for immediate medical attention by the responding personnel of Atok Municipal Police Station and Atok Fire Department.
According to the Atok Municipal Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Council the victims were identified as Rona Serafica Fernandez, 23; Jun Belmonte Habiling Ogayon, 50; Julia Dulnuan Ogayon, 50; Sylvia Sabaday Padsing, 60; Purita Jocsi Serafica, 53; Emilia Senong Olosan, 61; Maria Paspas Sapawel, 81; Susana Kiat-ong Bandas, 95; Rosemarie Dizon Bragado,56; and Bernadette Ripa Dela Cruz, 35.
Others who were injured were Crislen Soliken Dumanas, 25; Dave Jocsi Serafica,25; Clark Joseph Dumanas Evangelista, 8 months old; Saira Dumanas Dekka, 8, Maverick Wakit Bantegan, 24 and Nancy To-oc Fagsao, 41.
Several passengers were already discharged from the hospital while the driver and his helper were brought to the Atok municipal police for further investigation.
In Sablan, Benguet, the driver of an elf truck also cheated death after his vehicle fell in a 15-meter ravine at sitio Abuloy, barangay Bayabas.
Police said June Ford Ateniao Dagul, 44, the driver of the elf truck, lost control of his vehicle while traversing a sharp curve along Monglo junction. (With a report from Jonathan Llanes)