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Bus carrying Hanjin workers falls in Subic ravine; 19 hurt


(Updated 11:08 a.m.) MANILA, Philippines - A bus transporting employees of Hanjin Heavy Industries Inc. fell into a ravine in Subic, Zambales, Tuesday morning, the spokesperson of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) said. Officials said 19 workers were injured in the accident. In an interview on dzBB radio, Armi Llamas said the accident occurred at Barangay Cawag in Zambales outside the Hanjin facility. According to Llamas, the bus - with body number WPH-44 - usually ferries workers on the way to work. Llamas said they were still verifying the number of the passengers and whether there were fatalities in the incident. Those injured in the accident were brought to the San Marcelino District Hospital, she said. "May dumating po na report, before eight [in the morning] na mayroong nahulog na bus. Ang pangalan na WPH. Ito ang ginagamit ng workers papasok ng Hanjin. Nahulog sa Cawag, Zambales. Papunta po ng Hanjin, papasok po ito ng trabaho," Llamas said. ["We got a report before eight that there was a bus that fell, named WPH. That was what workers used going to work at Hanjin. It fell in Cawag, Zambales. It was on the way to Hanjin, and the workers were on the way to work."] Of those injured, 18 were taken to the San Marcelino District Hospital, the facility's administrative officer Ping Osmeña said in a interview on radio dzBB. And one was taken to the James Gordon Hospital in Olongapo City. Osmeña said the injured mostly had bruises. In a telephone interview with GMANews.TV, the Subic police chief, Senior Inspector Nelson Dela Cruz, identified the victims as: 1. Joan Guinto, 2. Nilmer Fontilla, 3. Mark Dolitas, 4. Leonardo Onpad, 5. Erwin Tolentino, 6. Michael Javier, 7. Arnel Fontilla, 8. Lyn Obago , 9. Joey Angeles, 10. Erwin Felisminia, 11. Darwin Abisia, 12. Denver Sabado, 13. Mulawin Lubang, 14. Antonio Balolot, 15. Michael Jasmin, 16. Elmer Navalta, 17. Zaldy Abrego, 18. Jaime Legaspina, and 19. GR Martinez. De la Cruz said Guinto and Fontanilla remained in critical condition at the San Marcelino District Hospital. He said the two had severe head injuries. It was not yet clear who among the injured was the one taken to the Gordon Hospital in Olongapo City. De la Cruz said that officials from Hanjin and WPH bus service had visited victims at the San Marcelino Hospital. Citing initial investigation, De la Cruz said the bus - with a seating capacity of 50 - was racing with two other buses shortly before it fell into a 50-meter deep ravine. He added that the driver escaped after the incident. Dela Cruz said the police have formed a task force to look into the incident and to track down the driver. In another interview on "GMA News' Flash Report," De la Cruz said they were thinking of filing to multiple reckless imprudence charges against the Wisdom, Prosperity, and Humanity (WPH) bus, owned by a certain Jane Buenaventura. The incident took place on the day the Senate was to investigate deaths of workers at the Hanjin shipyard in Subic. On Tuesday, the Senate Labor Committee under Senate President Pro Tempore Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada was to hold the investigation sought by Sen. Pilar Juliana "Pia" Cayetano. Cayetano said the death toll has reportedly reached 19 based on the Korean firm's official records since 2006. Except for the latest casualty, a Korean who worked as a foreman and died last Jan. 25, all the fatalities from vehicular and work-related accidents at the shipyard were Filipino laborers, the latest of which was Raldon del Rosario, who died last Jan. 23. Last December, Cayetano called the Senate's attention on the deaths of two Filipino workers, which happened within a week of each other in November. Philip Albino Mendoza and Jose Vener Gil, were the 16th and 17th casualties at the shipyard, respectively. Cayetano also noted that an unofficial account by a labor-support group in Subic had placed a bigger death toll at 24, including stay-in workers who reportedly died from malaria. She also denounced last Jan. 21 what she called the interference of South Korean Ambassador Joong-Kyung on the authority of the Senate to conduct legislative inquiries. - GMANews.TV
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