Rescuers attend to some of the victims in a bus explosion in Sultan Kudarat, Sunday morning.
A SUSPECTED improvised explosive device that exploded inside a bus in Tacurong City, Sultan Kudarat claimed one person’s life while scores were hurt, Sunday morning.
According to a report from the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Yellow Bus Line (YBL) bus from Kidapawan City, Cotabato was on its way to its destination in Tacurong when the IED went off at around 11:30 a.m. in Barangay New Isabela.
The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office of Tacurong provided the casualty count, although on the part of the military, it said it only received five reported injuries which they continue to validate.
The injured passengers were immediately brought to the nearby St. Louis Hospital, where they were still undergoing treatment as of writing.
Philippine Army 6th Infantry Division commander M/Gen. Roy Galido told reporters that bus company YBL had been receiving threats before the incident.
“The YBL has been constantly receiving extortion messages ever since and we have been working them,” Galido said.
Authorities have yet to determine the group behind the bombing.
“We’re working with the police to do counteraction on possible suspects,” Galido said, noting that the YBL management is also cooperating with the military and police to track down the perpetrators.
He added that YBL has been told to tighten security measures to avoid a repeat of the bombing, such as not picking up passengers who are not waiting in terminals or pickup points.
“We have constantly reminded them to follow strictly their policy. May policy din sila na only defined pickup points ang isasakay nila para may inspection process,” Galido said.
This is the third bus bombing incident in Mindanao this year, with the other two incidents earlier taking place in Maguindanao and Koronadal City in South Cotabato.
