Eleven dead in collision between passenger bus and van in northern Philippines

TUGUEGARAO, Philippines (AP) — A bus collided with a pickup truck in a northern Philippine city early Thursday morning, killing 11 people and injuring six others, police said.

The dead were in the pickup truck when it was struck by the side of the bus, causing it to spin out of control and crash into a roadside food stall in the town of Abulug, about 600 kilometers north of Manila, police chief Maj. Antonio Palattao said.

Most of the victims in the truck were returning home from a wake shortly after midnight Thursday. The drivers of both vehicles were injured, as was the owner of the food stall that was hit by the truck, Palattao said.

Investigations are underway to determine who was responsible for the accident, he said.

Fatal traffic accidents are common in the Philippines because of poor compliance with traffic laws, dilapidated vehicles and dangerous road conditions. There is also a lack of adequate safety signs and barriers on mountain roads and in remote provinces.