MANILA, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- A van blew a tire on a highway in Pangasinan province, north of Manila, and crashed into a roadside barrier, killing three people and injuring 14 others, police said Sunday.
Police said the van was traveling north to a Roman Catholic Church in Manaoag town when the accident happened around 9 a.m. local time (0100 GMT) Saturday in Rosales, a town in Pangasinan.
The passengers, all family members, told police that the car was running smoothly for a couple of hours when one of the tires burst, causing the vehicle to crash into a roadside barrier.
Initial police investigation showed that the van, which can accommodate only 15 people, was overloaded, carrying 17 people. ■
