At least 10 killed, dozens injured in Philippines road crash, says Red Cross

MANILA (Reuters) – At least 10 people were killed and more than 30 others injured in a road crash in the Philippines involving multiple vehicles, the Philippine Red Cross said on Thursday.

The collision occurred shortly after midday on the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway north of the capital Manila, and involved five vehicles including a truck and a passenger bus, the Red Cross said in a Facebook post.

The driver of the bus, owned by Solid North Bus Transit Inc, claimed to have fallen asleep at the wheel, causing a pile-up, GMA News reported, citing information provided by the chief of the Tarlac Provincial Police Office.

In response to the fatal incident, Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon has ordered the suspension of Solid North’s operations, his office announced on Facebook.

The Red Cross said it quickly deployed a team to the crash site to assist in rescue and medical response, adding that the operation was continuing.

(Reporting by Karen Lema; Editing by Hugh Lawson)