Five persons died pagkatapos bumangga at lumiyab ang isang fuel tanker sa mga kabahayan on the national highway in Barangay Lele, Pinabacdao, Samar kahapon.
Chief Insp. Maria Bella Rentuaya, spokesperson of the Eastern Visayas regional police, identified the victims as construction worker Michael Buenavides, 20; his wife, Mary Joy, 18; their baby Angela, and the fuel tanker driver and his helper na di pa nakikilala as of presstime.
Isang kapitbahay ng mga Buenavides, 24-year-old Arman Balondo, ay nasugatan sa insidente.
“All of the victims, including the baby’s parents and the truck driver and the helper were burned as a result of the accident,” said Rentuaya.
Rentuaya said the tanker was travelling on the north-bound lane of the national highway at around 2 a.m. when the driver lost control of the steering wheel.
The fuel tanker rammed three houses and a few minutes later, an explosion occurred.
The ensuing blast caused massive fire that engulfed the three houses it rammed.
Nasunog din ang tatlong kalapit na bahay na pagaari ni Balondo at kaniyang kapitbahay na sina Gaudencia Tablan and Romy Balondo.
Rentuaya said witnesses said the accident might have been caused by the curve and downward portion of the road that the driver was negotiating.
She said the fire was controlled at around 5 a.m.