A MINI-BUS carrying 27 senior citizens from the Adventist Retirees Association fell on its side in Sitio Cabangahan, Barangay Pit-os, Cebu City yesterday morning.
No one died in the accident. The passengers suffered minor injuries.
The group was on its way to an outing and meeting at Genesis Valley in Cabangahan when the engine of the mini-bus malfunctioned while it was traveling on a steep road.
u201cWala lang gyud katangas, namatay man ang makina mao to ni-atras siya ako nalang gibangga sa kilid aron di ko maabot sa ubos daghan mang maapil (The bus couldn’t ascend because it’s engine malfunctioned so it went backwards and I did all I could to swerve it to the side to avoid hitting more vehicles on the main road),” said mini-bus driver Eduardo Cagas.
He said he had driven the mini-bus, which belongs to the Adventist Academy Cebu, in the area before without meeting any accident.
Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgar Labella, who was among those who arrived at the scene, had the area cordoned.
u201cSalamat sa Ginoo kay wala’y naunsa, minor injuries lang (Thank God they only suffered minor injuries),” said Labella, who ordered the Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation to bring all the senior citizens to a nearby hospital so that their blood pressure can be checked and other medical needs can be attended to.
Labella said that the area where the accident happened was steep and vehicles like buses or mini-buses will have difficulty maneuvering on the area.
Rebecca Tubo-Tubo, one of the survivors, said that her group was excited for the trip and gathering, and did not expect that they would meet an accident.
u201cNagkataw-anay pa gani mi, sadya kaayo mi (We were even laughing, we’re lively),” she said.
Tubo-Tubo said she and her group were still thankful that no one got seriously hurt.
Pabling Punay, association president, said that there were 50 individuals who were supposed to attend the outing.
Three buses were used for the trip but when the mishap happened, he was forced to cancel it.
u201cCharged to experience lang ni ang nahitabo dili nalang mi mahinayon kay di sad maayo nga ang uban nalipay, ang uban wala (we won’t push through with the trip because it’s unfair that other are happy, while others are not),” Punay said.
u201cThere were some senior citizens who were affected but it’s really an accident,” he added.
