Twenty members of the same extended family were killed on Christmas day in a head-on bus collision while travelling to a Christmas Day mass.
The tragedy occurred in the northern Philippines, police said.
A small bus taking the group to a dawn church service crashed into a larger bus in the town of Agoo killing the 20 on board, including six children, police said.
The nine other occupants of the small bus were injured, as were 17 travelling on the bigger bus, according to an updated tally released by regional police.
“They (the family) were trying to catch a mass in Manaoag,” Agoo police officer Vanessa Abubo told AFP, referring to a northern Philippine town near Agoo with a famous Catholic church.”
The centuries-old Our Lady of Manaoag church is a popular pilgrimage site in the mainly Catholic nation, featuring an icon of the Virgin Mary which the faithful say performs miracles.
Agoo police chief Roy Villanueva told Manila radio station DZMM by telephone that the smaller vehicle had left its lane to overtake a third vehicle.
Authorities are investigating whether the driver, who Abubo said was among those killed, had fallen asleep or was under an influence, Villanueva added.
This is a sad news to hear about.
It’s so painful
It’s like the tragedy that comes with Christmas is more than the joy
I totally disagrre
Ranging from accidents to killings to domestic violence to flooding to raping to Badoo and the list just goes on… ?
I totally disagree
Really sad
???
AMIN
May evil not befall us and our family as we enter into 2018 in Jesus name
Amen
Amin.
Anything could have gone wrong but. No amount of investigation can bring back the dead
At least he will experience what it feels like to be in jail. That’s if actually the police investigates and confirms that he was on the influence of alcohol
yeah, the gone is gone
the other nine will still mourn with the driver in jail or not
May God comfort the other remaining members
Amen
Super sad Christmas ohh Everest..
20 family members chair
wiped out the entire fam
RIP to the extended family members who lost their lives. Proper investigation should be made on the driver. Probably he was driving under the influence of alcohol.
alcohol or stress
what a black Christmas for these people.
so sad
Its indeed a bleak Christmas for them.