At least 41 people — including the driver and conductor — were injured when a passenger bus traveling from Baguio City crashed into an archway in Burgos, La Union on Thursday night.
According to a report by Tina Panganiban-Perez on 24 Oras, the bus’s door was jammed following the impact, forcing passengers to escape through a shattered rear window. The wounded were rushed to various hospitals in the area.
Initial investigations suggest that the bus may have suffered a mechanical failure, causing it to lose control on a curved stretch of road and slam into the arch.
In response, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) issued a show cause order against the operator of the bus, Scarllette Jayde Transport, and suspended the involved unit for 30 days.
“If there’s a mechanical defect, it’s clearly negligence on the part of the operator. They failed to ensure the roadworthiness of their vehicle,” said LTFRB spokesperson Ariel Inton.
The LTFRB also issued a separate show cause order to First Forwarders Co., Inc., the franchise holder of a truck involved in a six-vehicle pileup in Marikina earlier this week.
Authorities continue to investigate the incident to determine further liabilities.