(Updated 5/13/2010; 3:10pm)
photos taken by Reporters Dale Israel and Ador Vincent Mayol
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
By Correspondent Chito Aragon and Reporter Dale Israel
AT least 17 passengers were killed when a tourist bus they were riding fell in a ravine in barangay Cansamuroy, Balamban town, northern Cebu, a police official said.
The bus had about 70 passengers composed mostly of Persian nationals who where headed for a beach outing in the town, said Senior Supt. Erson Digal, chief of the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO).
Among those passengers were doctors and students from different universities in Cebu City.
The 17 fatalities were killed on the spot, said Digal.
A victim, a Persian national, said in a radio interview that the driver of the bus tried but failed to slow down the bus.
“He could not make a right decision and he turned left and we fell (into the ravine),” he said in a DYAB radio interview.
Search and retrieval operations were on going.
The radio report said there were still 10 people inside the bus.
Town officials advised motorists coming from Balamban going to Cebu City to find another route to decongest traffic in Transcentral highway and hasten the emergency operations.
Some of the victims were rushed to the Cebu Doctors Hospital and Velez Hospital in Cebu City.
Rescuers from the Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and civilian volunteers helped in the retrieval operations.
The Philippine Airforce also assisted in the rescue operation and transported the casualties to Cebu City proper through a helicopter.
SPO3 Arvin Banate, investigator of Balamban police, said that according to witnesses, the bus was seen zigzagging before falling in the ravine.
Abigail
June 13, 2010
This is heartbreaking.
noble
June 13, 2010
were they really heading for a beach outing?? or was if for a medical mission??
The Photoblogger
June 13, 2010
It wasn’t a medical mission. It was an outing though there some of them who are students of a certain medical university thus the assumption that it was a med mission. (this is from what I heard)
Was able to see the damage cuz we passed by it today
Adrian
June 13, 2010
blame the balamban mayor for not implementing preventive measures in his town. there have been countless fatal accidents in this area
nadz
June 13, 2010
dont be like that…
Mir Amin Hajimiri
June 13, 2010
Such a very sad tragedy that happened to my countrymates… Its like a nightmare that I want to wake up from…
Condolence to all the family of my dear friends (Davood, Mohammad, shafagh,pedram, attah,…). I love you all and I will never forget the memories we had…
And to the survivors, I pray for your fast recovery…
You are all in my prayers…
WEENA
June 14, 2010
Do you have any information on YASER FOROUTAN and LEILA FOROUTAN? They were in the bus too. If you do, please email me back. Thank you.
parisa
June 15, 2010
please inform me about the family fouroutan and shahram shahmari,,,,,
Shehzad Ghani
October 9, 2010
Which Leila Foroutan is she? the one in Dallas ??
mohammad
June 14, 2010
Does anybody happen to have any information about Yaser Foroutan, his wife and his sister Leila. I have called red Cross, Cebu Doctor’s hospital ER and anywhere I could to get some information.
cris
June 14, 2010
please, i would like to know the complete name of the Mohammad that you mentioned. thank you
cebu travel guide
June 14, 2010
ooohhh nnooooo!!!
sa kilid man gud sa pangpang ang mga agihanan diha.
RHYE
June 14, 2010
a cursed place should i say, a lot of accidents happened in there til’ now there’s no action coming from the local office…I WILL PRAY on the souls of those who dint’ make it and for the faster recovery of the others who survived..
MARLIN
June 14, 2010
We all request all hospital and cebu authority to please announce in all media news agency all the name of all iranian student who got killed and injure in the bus accident where I am sure some of the news today fro yesterday could not have complete full details of all iranians student who got killed in the bus crash cebu.
This can be very helpful to trace their family relatives of those iranian student who got injure and killed.
their names to be news are very important for their family. atlist find that some family still hoping thier loving sons relatives still alive or not, thanks for all support of all Philippine Media, From Marlin one of Iranian family in iran.
MARLIN
June 14, 2010
Please notify me my comment as above at my e-mail address: weafasia5@gmail.com
MARLIN IRAN TEHERAN.
j.g.
June 15, 2010
Eighteen of the fatalities were identified as Shamary Sharahm, 31; Ataa Bargchi, 15; a certain Mr. Barghchi; a certain Mrs. Barghchi; Fojhan Zakeri, female student of Gullas Medical School; Dr. Ali Kamrani, Cebu Doctors University Nuclear Medicine resident doctor; Pedram Farjami, male student of Gullas Medical School; Hamid Reza Hozoori, male student of Gullas Medical School; Dr. Morteza Ghasemi, pathology resident doctor with the Cebu Doctors University (CDU); Raminkhoo Alireza, of Baia Course Language Institute; Ata Barghchi, 16; one-year old Pasha Masoomabadi; 18-month old Jahani Mooeed; a certain Farshed who is assigned to the Radiology Department of CDU; Vatane Mortaze; Davood Khatibi, 23; Shafagh Homayooni, 29; and, the driver and owner of the JD Tourist Bus identified as Jaime Batuon.
http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/262040/cebu-bus-accident-claims-21st-victim
Freddie Spivey
June 15, 2010
Super interesting article! Truely..
MARLIN
June 16, 2010
Why so make happy in this article and you can say super interesting ?
YOUR SOUNDS AMERICAN, IF THIS HAPPENED TO YOU OR TO YOUR FAMILY’
HOW DO YOU FEEL THEN IF YOU SEE YOUR OWN COMMENT IN THIS ARTICLE
VIVA AMERICA OR YOUR MIGHT BE THE NEXT WHO WILL GOT ACCIDENT THEN. YOU WILL NOT EVEN KNOW OR SEE ANY COMMENT BUT YOUR FAMILY WILL SEE.
MARLIN
June 16, 2010
FREDIE SPIVEY YOUR ARE SUPER LOYAL TO YOUR OWN EGGO ? in this arcticle god knows who you are ?
Blanche
June 16, 2010
I do not know what to say. One thing is for sure- THIS IS VERY TRAGIC!
I feel so bad about this. I had good iranian friends in school. I know someone who became a casualty of this. He was a kind doctor. My heart reaches out to his family. May his soul rest in peace.
If I can only do something to lighten up the burden a little, but I can only pray for all who perished to rest in peace and the survivors and families to be able to heal and move on one day. I hope things will go fast especially in identifying all the others. I am so sorry about what happened.
I am still looking for a friend of mine on the list, but I don’t really wish that I find him there because that means he was one of the victims. I already know someone who died, I cant bear any more deaths of someone I know.
Let’s all pray and hope for better days. I hope people here will be SENSITIVE to how families would feel about this incident. We are all GRIEVING. So, PLEASE be careful of what you say.
MARLIN
June 17, 2010
We are all human , we are all going there for sure, If you have a friend who died in that crash,
My son best friends is one of them in the list .. I am iranian, when you lost a son., a best friend, brother , father. and see this kind of comment like like Freddie Spivey.. You think that is nice to read TRULY INTERESTING OF WHAT ? I’ am sure this guy or man is American. Wacth your words, one day FREDDIE SPIVEY you will know what words you say in this arlticle you will eat it back or no more blood to your flesh.
Blanche
June 19, 2010
Marlin, I understand what you feel…I’m sorry about your son’s best friend. Freddie Spivey just cant choose the appropriate words to say. Just don’t mind him.
I really hope time will heal the wounds….I am praying for all the victims to have eternal peace and for the survivors to move on and be healed….