11 killed as passenger bus collides with pickup truck

TUGUEGARAO (AP):

A bus collided with a pickup truck early Thursday morning, killing 11 people and injuring six others in a northern Philippine town, police said.

Those who died were riding the small truck as it was rammed on the side by the bus, causing it to lose control and smash into a roadside food stall in Abulug town, about 600 km (373 miles) north of Manila, said police chief Maj. Antonio Palattao.

Most of the victims aboard the truck were on their way home from a wake shortly after midnight Thursday. The drivers of both vehicles were injured, along with the owner of the food stall that was hit by the truck, Palattao said.

An investigation was underway to determine who was responsible for the accident, he said.

Deadly road accidents are common in the Philippines because of weak enforcement of traffic laws, dilapidated vehicles and dangerous road conditions, including inadequate safety signs and barriers in mountain roads and far-flung provinces.