By Aaron Recuenco and Marie Tonette Marticio
TACLOBAN CITY – At least eight persons died on the spot while 13 others were injured when a passenger van with 18 passengers on board collided with a six-wheel truck in Sitio Tab-ang, Babatngon, Leyte, shortly after 6 a.m. Friday.
(Ioannes Omang / MANILA BULLETIN)
Police identified the fatalities as Mimi Ochea, Emie Lorde, Marilyn Taringan, Alden Camuin, Remelyn Camuin, Jackon Casarigo, Elyong Piscos, and Leila Caturan.
“Eleven other passengers of the van were injured. The driver of the truck and his helper were also injured. They were taken to the nearby hospital,” Lt. Col. Bella Rentuaya, spokesperson of the Eastern Visayas regional police said.
Lt. Melvin Ay-ay, officer-in-charge of the Babatngon police said the van was heading towards Tacloban City from Babatngon town while the truck was travelling in the opposite direction.
Ay-ay said the truck overshot a curve, causing it to swerve in the path of the van resulting in a collision.
The victims were brought to the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center in Tacloban.
In Quezon province, at least 19 people were injured when the bus they were riding in crashed onto a road railing and hit a garage where two motorcycles were parked in Tagkawayan town.
The bus was heading towards the direction of Manila when the incident occurred at around 12:30 a.m. Friday in Barangay San Diego.
“It happened while the bus was traveling the descending curved portion of the road. Due to overspeeding, the driver lost control and accidentally hit the railings,” the police report read.
The victims were taken to the Ma. Eleazar Memorial District Hospital Tagakawayan, Quezon.