A PASSENGER bus rammed into a pickup truck in Abulug, Cagayan early morning yesterday, leaving 11 persons dead and scores injured.
All the fatalities were passengers of the Toyota Hilux pickup vehicle, according to Abulug police chief Maj. Antonio Palattao, adding the truck’s driver and two other passengers in the front seat were injured and are confined at a hospital.
Palattao said the driver and conductor of the GV Florida Bus were also injured and hospitalized.
At least 23 passengers of the bus suffered minor injuries but were sent home, he said.
Palattao said the incident occurred at 12:10 a.m. at an intersection in Ayaga Junction in Barangay Lucban.
He said the bus was traversing the national highway, going to Sta. Ana town in Cagayan from Ilocos Norte when it hit the pickup vehicle coming from an inner road.
Palattao said the bus hit the driver’s side of the pickup that had 14 occupants who had just attended the wake of a relative.
“Eleven (people) died on arrival (at the hospital), all were passengers of the pickup (vehicle). The driver and two female passengers in the front seat were injured, they survived,” he said.
“The driver and the conductor of the Florida bus sustained injuries, they are also confined at a hospital. Twenty-three passengers of the Florida bus sustained minor injuries but they are okay, they are already home,” he added.
Police investigators are conducting a thorough investigation into the incident.
When asked which vehicle had the right of way, Palattao said: “Of course, the Florida bus because it is on the national highway. The pickup came from an inner road, it should have reduced speed since it’s going to the (national) highway.”
