A tourist bus carrying foreign medical students falls in a ravine in Balamban, Cebu on Sunday, June 13, 2010. Some 19 people perished, including 10 foreigners. (Photo by CHESTER BALDICANTOS)

BALAMBAN, Cebu – At least ten foreigners were killed while 31 others were injured when a tourist bus plunged 30 meters off a cliff in Barangay Cansomoroy, this town, before noon Sunday.

Sketchy reports revealed that the Catleya Tourist Bus boarded by the foreigners fell off a cliff while on a sight-seeing tour along the mountain road leading to Balamban from Cebu City.

Balamban Mayor Alex Binghay confirmed the incident and revealed that most of the injured were rushed to the Balamban District Hospital.

Binghay said rescue operations conducted by the Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation (ERUF) and the Philippine Air Force (PAF) were underway as of press time Sunday.

He said eight bodies were retrieved from the accident scene while two other victims were declared dead at the hospital. The nationalities of the victims were not confirmed although sources said most of them were Iranians and Pakistanis.

An initial police report said that eight fatalities were Iranians and Pakistanis.

Police Officer 3 Arden Trocio, of the Balamban Police Station, said the number of casualties may increase since there were at least 70 passengers on tourist bus.

“The ravine is very deep, we still don’t know the circumstances that led to the falling of the bus,” said Trocio in a phone interview.

“The initial report we received is that the bus has more or less 70 passengers, most of them are foreigners. We are confirming the report that only the driver and the tourist guide are Filipinos,” he added.

“Investigation is still being conducted to determine why the incident happened, we are still waiting for the investigators who went there,” said Trocio in an interview at around 3 p.m. Sunday.

The Philippine Air Force sent choppers to the accident scene and help with rescue operations.