BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA

At least four people were confirmed dead while eight others were seriously injured after a bus fell off a ravine in Don Salvador Benedicto (DSB), Negros Occidental on Monday evening.

Authorities identified the fatalities as Irene Flores Alo, Jason Manaba, Rinera Leonida, and Christian Jude Leonida.

Don Salvador Benedicto municipal police chief Police Captain Jerald Moya said the Ceres Liner bus – owned and operated by Vallacar Transit, Inc. – was on its way to Bacolod City when the incident happened.

Driver Jescer Rasonable said he lost control of the brakes, prompting the bus to hit a concrete barrier and fell some 50 feet into the ravine.

Twelve people were inside the bus at the time, including the driver.

More people may have been killed if the bus continued falling further, noted Moya.

The six injured passengers were rushed by paramedics to the Bacolod Adventist Medical Center for treatment.

In a follow-up radio interview with AksyonRadyo-Bacolod, Vallacar Transit public relations officer Jade Seballos said they will give assistance to victims of the incident.

Seballos stressed that their units are only allowed to travel after passing safety inspections. These inspections, she added, are done regularly.

Seballos said they will work with the police while investigation into the incident is ongoing./DGB, WDJ