Thirty-five people were killed when a packed passenger bus plunged into a deep ravine in the northern Philippines on Wednesday, rescuers said.

The bus, carrying 47 people, had just left the mountain resort city of Baguio, about 200 kilometres north of Manila, when its brakes failed, local fire chief Senior Superintendent Richard Villanueva said.

National police spokesman Senior Superintendent Agrimero Cruz told reporters 35 people were confirmed dead.

“Six other passengers were rescued seriously injured and unconscious, while the rest (were) rescued with injuries,” he said.

Road accidents, often involving old buses and careless drivers, are common in the Philippines.

Fifteen people were killed last month when a bus slammed into a concrete wall in Cebu, the Philippines’ second biggest city.