MANILA – Five people were killed in a bus crash in the northern Philippines, the second deadly bus accident in two days, authorities said yesterday.

The bus was carrying more than 30 people when its brakes malfunctioned and it toppled into a ditch in the northern province of Abra in the Cordillera Administrative Region Saturday, police said.

One person died on the spot and four others in hospital, said regional military spokesman, Supt. Davy Vicente Limmong.

Twenty-eight others were injured in the crash, that came a day after a tourist bus plunged into a deep ravine in Bontoc, Mt. Province, also in CAR, Friday.

Fourteen people were killed in that accident, including a Canadian man and Dutch woman. Also among the dead was a popular Filipino comedian and his artist friends, who were supposed to visit a tribal area.

Presidential spokesman Herminio Coloma said that, in the wake of the accidents, a nationwide safety audit of all public transport had been ordered.

“We are investigating the roadworthiness of all types of public transportation, especially buses and public utility vehicles that are the main mode of transportation nationwide," Coloma said on public radio.

He said initial investigations showed that the bus that killed 14 on Friday was not authorized to travel that route.

Old buses are the backbone of land transport in the Philippines. But they have been involved in frequent accidents due to poorly-lit and badly-maintained roads, and drivers working long hours.*AFP

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