Nine people died while at least 10 others were injured in a road accident involving a jeepney, a 22-wheeler trailer truck and a dump truck in Barangay Looc, Cardona, Rizal province, at about 5 a.m.Tuesday.
Loel Malonzo, head of the Rizal Provincial Risk Reduction and Management Office, said that seven of the nine fatalities have already been identified by the police.
Five of the fatalities were John Lester Lambrinto, Jan Brian Madaya, 60-year old Maximo Julian, Elizabeth Rios and Pablo Ramos.
According to police, among the injured were local residents.
Malonzo said the victims were rushed to the Rizal Provincial Hospital System in Morong, Binangonan, and Amang Rodriguez Hospital.
Initial reports showed that the trailer truck reportedly lost its brakes while travelling the downhill portion of the diversion road on its way to Binangonan town proper, causing it to collide with the passenger jeep carrying students and workers from Cardona.
The dump truck, which also believed to have lost its brakes while traversing the road, also hit the jeepney as it apparently attempted to avoid the trailer truck.
Residents in the area told rescuers that they heard a loud sound before seeing the dump truck already on its side in the ravine.
On its way down the ravine, the truck hit some bystanders and some houses, according to police report.
One of the fatalities was the driver of the dump truck whose body was found in the ravine. The truck helper luckily survived the accident.
Netizens residing in the area said some of the fatalities and injured were their neighbors.
The social welfare office of Cardona has reached out to the victims’ families for the necessary assistance, according to the provincial capitol. (Nel Andrade and Aaron Recuenco)
