Three persons were killed while 22 others were injured in an accident on Good Friday in Caraga, Davao Oriental.
Chief Insp. Andrea dela Cerna, spokesperson of the Southern Mindanao police, said the accident occurred when an Isuzu Elf truck careened on the national highway in Barangay Santiago.
“There were more or less 25 people on board the truck when it met an accident and the truck fell into a ravine,” said Dela Cerna.
Dela Cerna said three persons died on the spot due to serious injuries. Their cadavers were retrieved during the search and rescue operation.
The 22 others, she said, sustained various injuries.
“All the injured victims were taken to the nearest hospital,” said Dela Cerna.
The truck with license plates LGG-957 was reportedly headed towards Cateel, Davao Oriental from Tagum City.
Road accidents are common in the Philippines with the police reporting an average of 1,200 deaths every year. Among the reasons are bad overtaking, over-speeding, and mechanical trouble.
The accident coincided with the Holy Week when many road accidents are reported due to a curse. But authorities said Holy Week accidents are mainly due to either volume of vehicles on the road or that drivers are overconfident on driving due to an almost absence of vehicles especially during Good Friday.