Philippines bus crash: 20 pilgrims die after collision on way to Christmas Day mass

A jeepney has crashed into a bus in the northern Philippines killing 20 people and injuring 24, police say.

The crash happened in Agoo town, La Union province, 200 kilometres north of Manila. Source: Agoo Police

Twenty people have been killed in the Philippines when a jeepney packed with relatives travelling for Christmas Day mass collided with a passenger bus, police say.

The pre-dawn accident also left 24 injured in Agoo town, La Union province, 200 kilometres north of Manila, according to Roy Villanueva, the municipality's police chief.

All those killed were passengers in the jeepney, a type of mini-bus which is the most popular mode of transport in the Philippines.

A view of mini-bus named 'Jeepneys', a popular and uniquely Filipino mode of mass transport. Source: AAP

They were believed to be relatives travelling to attend Christmas Day mass at a cathedral in the town of Manaoag in nearby Pangasinan province, Villanueva said.

"There is a possibility that the jeepney overtook another vehicle and crashed into the bus on the opposite lane," he said. "We are also checking if the driver fell asleep and swerved to the other lane."

The fatalities included a seven-month-old baby, Villanueva said. Fifteen of the injured were bus passengers, while nine were in the jeepney, he added.