According to a police report, the accident took place on a highway in Atimonan town in Quezon province, 120 kilometres south-east of Manila, on Monday.

One passenger on the bus died as well as a passenger and the driver of the truck.

Sixty-eight people suffered various injuries and were taken to nearby hospitals.

“The bus was travelling along a downhill stretch of a diversion road in the town, when it overtook another vehicle and collided with the 10-wheeler truck,’’ the report said.

The bus driver has been arrested by police.

Fatal road accidents are common in the Philippines, mainly due to driver negligence, defective public vehicles or unsafe road conditions.

According to the World Health Organisation, an average of 10,000 people die annually in the Philippines due to road accidents. (dpa/NAN)