Bus falls down Philippines ravine, 11 dead

A jitney bus plunged 154 feet into a ravine in the province of Bontoc in the Philippines, killing 11 people, authorities said. The vehicle, called a jeepney in the Philippines, was en route to the village of Dalican Sunday when the accident occurred. The driver had stopped to allow a passenger to pick up a bag, which had fallen off, and when the bus set out again it slipped toward the ravine and one wheel hung over the edge, Chief Superintendent Benjamin Magalong, Cordillera police director, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer. The chief said passengers riding on the roof began to panic and, ignoring the driver's efforts to calm them, jumped off, causing the vehicle to topple over and fall into the ravine. Seven passengers were killed on impact and four died while being treated at a nearby hospital, officials said. The driver and four passengers were uninjured. The word jeepney is a combination of jitney and jeep.