Manila: At least 19 passengers were killed and more than a dozen injured when a commuter bus crashed into a ravine south of the Philippine capital, Manila, on Tuesday evening, police said.

The bus hit a bridge railing and crashed into a 15-metre (50-feet) deep cliff in the province of Occidental Mindoro, provincial police director Senior Superintendent Romie Estepa told DZMM radio station on Wednesday.

‘The driver lost control of the vehicle. We have yet to know if this is human or technical error,’ Estepa said.

The Philippines is notorious for its lax regulation on public transportation and poorly maintained roads.