25 dead after bus plunges off cliff in central Philippines

Rescuers are seen at the site of a bus accident in Antique province, the Philippines, Dec. 5, 2023. (Xinhua)

MANILA, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- At least 25 persons were killed on Tuesday when a passenger bus plunged off a cliff in Antique province in central Philippines, local media reported.

The bus, carrying 53 passengers, was traveling west from Iloilo City to San Jose de Buenavista in Antique province when it crashed into a concrete road barrier before plunging into a ravine shortly before 5 p.m. local time in Hamtic town.

The deaths include the bus driver and his collector, local news web ABS-CBN reported.

Quoting the Antique provincial government, Panay News, a regional newspaper, reported that two critically wounded passengers, including a male from Kenya, were taken to a hospital in Iloilo City for treatment.

Emergency workers are rescuing the survivors and retrieving the bodies of the people in the ravine.

A damaged bus is seen at the site of a bus accident in Antique province, the Philippines, Dec. 5, 2023. (Xinhua)