A total of 11 people were confirmed dead ― including two children ― and 30 others badly hurt when a truck they were riding lost its brakes and plowed through a stockpile of rocks along Claveria-Balingasag road in Sitio Baga-ay, Barangay Baliwagan, Balingasag at about 9:30 am yesterday.
Balingasag Chief of Police Maj. Teodoro P. De Oro said the injured survivors were rushed to the Misamis Oriental Provincial Hospital (MOPH) while others were rushed to the Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC), this city.
“Dili pa nato ma confirm unsa ka tinood ani, kay naay politiko mi-ingon nga ang mga biktima scheduled nga magpabakuna ug naa pud mi-ingon nga mangaligo og dagat,” De Oro said.
The remains of the fatalities were brought to a morgue in Balingasag, he added.
Of the 11 killed, eight died on the spot and one died at the Misamis Oriental Provincial Hospital, identified by Balingasag Chief Police Investigator, Staff Master Sgt. Roger Pabatao, over the phone, as Estela Mae Halago Mara-on, 23.
Those who died on the spot were identified as Elizabeth Bogabaldo, Allan Codenas, Jose Salise Dalanta, Edilberto Albios, Cristina Llanasa Codenas, Susan Henon Dalanta, Loling Sinag-od, and Niño Llanasa.
Pabatao added that the other two fatalities died in the evening of the same day at the NMMC. He identified them as Julemer Sevilla, 13, and Farah Mae Lungayan, three years old.
It was learned that out of the 30 injured, half of them are children with ages ranging from two to 12 years old.
The owner of the vehicle, Nora Odchigue, and the driver were among those hurt in the incident.
Based on the police investigation, the Mitsubishi Canter bearing plate number AAR 6998, driven by one Junryl Cagmat, 31, lost its brakes when approaching a sloping area of the road.
The vehicle was running at high speed for about 200 meters on the sloping area of the road, sideswiped a fruit tree which made the truck turn turtle, and then plowed into a stockpile of gravel near the shoulder of the road, Pabatao said.
It was learned that the vehicle came from Sitio Impakibel, Barangay Apos-kahoy in Claveria town, and was heading to Lagonglong town.
It was also learned that the victims all resided in Claveria.
Several witnesses said that some of the victims were pinned down under the overturned vehicle.
“Ang truck mibangga sa (punuan sa) santol ug naibot ang (punuan) ug diha dayon ang impact sa naka file nga mga bato-bato,” a witness to the incident told Gold Star Daily.
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