MANILA, June 10 (Xinhua) -- A jeepney plunged into a ravine in the northern Philippines, killing eight and injuring 30 others, police said on Monday.
Police said the accident happened around 4 p.m. local time on Sunday when the overloaded jeepney lost its brake and veered off a mountain road of a village near San Mariano town in Isabela province and plunged 10 meters into a ravine.
Initial police investigation showed that the jeepney with the capacity of only 15 carried nearly 40 passengers, a common practice in the provinces.
Seven victims were found dead at the spot. The eighth fatality died while undergoing treatment in a hospital, according to local police.
The driver was among the dead, police said, adding that the injured were taken to a local hospital.
Elongated, flatbed passenger jeepneys are the most popular mode of public transport in the Philippines. These iconic vehicles have been plying the Philippine streets for decades.
Many traffic accidents in the country are blamed on these poorly maintained vehicles.
There are ongoing government efforts to modernize the jeepneys and remove the rickety and old jeepneys from the streets for good.
