By Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD City – A 12-year-old girl died while her three relatives were wounded after a minibus fell into a canal at Sitio Docog-docog, Barangay Rizal, San Carlos City, Negros Occidental yesterday.
Police withheld the name of the minor-fatality.
Wounded were Judy-ann Montesino, 18; Jonarie Sumiga, 39; and John Jucher Segurado, 26, all residents of Barangay Rizal.
Police Lieutenant Ruby Aurita, deputy police chief of San Carlos City Police Station, said the minibus driven by Juditho Locsin, 34, of Barangay 1 was on its way to a burial when the brakes malfunctioned.
“Nawad-an daw siya preno and gin pilit niya na ilikaw sa pil-as ang salakyan,” she added.
Aurita said Locsin tried to swerve the vehicle to the left but the bus instead fell into a canal.
“Nadagdag ang duha ka tires sa canal then natumba ang bus,” she added.
Aurita said the bus was considered overloaded as it exceeded its seating capacity of 38, and some of the passengers, according to Locsin, opted to stand.
When the accident happened, the minor was thrown off the vehicle as she was standing near the bus door. She died on the spot, Aurita said.
The three other wounded passengers were brought to a hospital.
Locsin and the other passengers were unharmed, Aurita said, adding that they are all relatives.
Locsin is detained at the police station.
