Manila, Dec 24 (IANS): Seven people have been killed and one critically injured after a van crashed in South Cotabato province in the Philippines, a town spokesperson said on Tuesday.

Emil Sumagaysay, the municipal disaster risk reduction and management officer of Tupi town, said the accident happened along a descending road past 3 p.m. local time on Monday.

He said the van's brake failed, causing the car to ram into a roadside tree, killing seven passengers at the scene - four women, including two minors, and three men.

The victims were visiting tourist spots in the area when the crash occurred, Xinhua news agency reported.

"The driver, who survived although critically injured, was thrown off the driver's seat through the vehicle's windshield," Sumagaysay said in a radio interview.

Similarly, on December 17, a road crash involving a van and a pickup truck killed four people and injured 13 others in Misamis Oriental in the southern Philippines.

Police said the two vehicles collided around noon. The van was reportedly travelling downhill on a road curve in Laguindingan town when its driver lost control, veering into the opposite lane and colliding with the truck.

The crash resulted in the death of three van passengers and one truck passenger, according to the police.

However, an investigation was launched to determine the cause of the fatal crash.

Earlier on December 6, a multi-vehicle road crash in the Philippine capital killed four people, with at least 25 others injured.

Police officer Napoleon Cabigon told reporters that the crash involved a truck, a bus, five cars, and 16 motorcycles. Three men and one woman were killed in the crash, which caused a heavy traffic jam in the area for hours.

Investigations showed that the truck's brakes had malfunctioned, causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle.

The Metro Manila Development Authority reported 32 road crash incidents in the capital from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on December 6 (Thursday) alone. Traffic accidents in Metro Manila were common as cars crowded the roads during the Christmas season.