45 perish as bus falls into ravine in Philippine

At least 45 passengers were killed after a bus lost control and fell into a 50-meter ravine in the northern province of Benguet, Philippine on Wednesday. Survivors were pulled out alive from the wreckage, while most of the victims were crushed to death as the bus plunged into the ravine. The injured have been shifted to hospital. The bus carried 47 passengers as it headed for La Union province from Baguio City, when it crashed in the town of Sablan, said the police chief of Benguet province, Senior Superintendent Wilben Mayor. Initial testimonies revealed the bus had a gear defect, Mayor said. The conductor said that the driver could not shift gears at high speed. Road accidents in the Philippines are common, due to ageing and poorly maintained vehicles.