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MANILA: Fifteen people died and two were injured when a truck carrying livestock traders veered off a winding road and plunged into a ravine 40m to 50m deep in central Philippines, the provincial police said today.

“The driver lost his brake and lost control,” Stephen Polinar, spokesman of Negros Oriental’s provincial police office, told DWPM radio station. “It was raining for two days so the road was slippery.”

Rescuers rushed to the accident area yesterday afternoon, and all passengers were already accounted for, Polinar said.

The driver is being treated at a hospital and could face charges, he added.

The Philippines is notorious for its lax regulation of public transportation, including passenger overloading, and poorly maintained roads.

In December, 17 people died when a bus lost its brakes and plunged into a ravine in the central Philippines province of Antique.