DHAKA: At least 20 people were killed and 44 injured on Saturday in a pile-up on an unlit highway in the Philippines involving three buses and four trucks, police said.

Pictures of the accident in Atimonan, 120km south-east of Manila, aired on ABS-CBN television showed at least 10 of the dead arranged side by side on one lane of the road, covered only by banana leaves.

One of the buses and one of the trucks had overturned.

Atimonan police commander Jomar Yupio said the accident was caused by the driver of a Manila-bound bus losing control of his vehicle, hitting two buses and four vans coming from the opposite direction before toppling over, pinning many of the victims.

Four children, the truck driver and his assistant were among those killed, reports The Straits Times.

BDST: 1646 HRS, OCT 19, 2013
RoR/JCK