MANILA, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- At least 13 elderly people were killed and over a dozen others injured on Tuesday when an overloaded jeepney skidded off a road and into a deep ravine in the Philippines' northern Luzon Kalinga province.
Authorities said the 13 dead, three males and 10 females, were among a group of elderly people heading back home after collecting their pensions when the accident happened around 2:30 p.m. local time in Dao-angan, a village in Balbalan town in Kalinga province.
More than a dozen passengers were also seriously injured and are reportedly fighting for their lives in a local hospital, authorities said.
The driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle which suffered brake failure, causing it to fall into a 100-meter deep ravine.
Initial investigation showed that the passenger jeepney was overloaded with up to 40 passengers.
The jeepneys are the most popular mode of public transport in the Philippines. Many accidents in the country are to blame for these poorly maintained vehicles.
There is an ongoing government effort to modernize the jeepneys and remove the rickety and old jeepneys from the streets for good.
