Manila - Eight people were killed Friday when a passenger bus plunged into a 60-metre ravine in the northern Philippines, a local official said.

Twenty people were also injured in the accident in Diadi town in Nueva Vizcaya province, 210 kilometres south of Manila, said municipal health officer Maria Cristina Munar.

The bus plunged into the ravine when its brakes failed while it was negotiating a sharp curve, Munar said, adding that the area is locally called "death valley" because of the numerous accidents that have occurred there.

Munar said six people were killed on the spot while two more died on the way to hospital. (dpa)