A FREAK accident in Camarines Sur claimed the lives of 11 persons on Wednesday. (Photo via Mayor Caloy Baldo)
Eleven persons were killed in a collision between a truck and a UV Express van in Camalig town, Albay province on Wednesday morning, Nov. 26.
Nabua town, Camarines Sur province Mayor Fer Simbulan said 11 of the 13 victims were passengers of the van with a Nabua-Legazpi City route and residents of the municipality.
“With deepest sorrow, we confirm that 11 out of the 13 passengers of the UV Express plying the Nabua-Legazpi route have been declared dead. This is a heartbreaking tragedy for our municipality,” he said in a Facebook post.
Simbulan condoled with the families of the victims and added that some of the passengers have yet to be identified as several were found without any identification cards.
The Nabua Municipal Police Station (MPS), led by Police Lt. Col Dominic Borigas, has been coordinating with the Camalig MPS to facilitate proper identification and ensure support for the victims’ families.
Simbulan thanked the provincial government of Albay, the local government of Camalig under Mayor Caloy Baldo, as well as personnel from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Philippine National Police (PNP), and the Camalig Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) for their swift rescue and retrieval operations.
He called on the public to join the community in offering prayers and compassion for the grieving families.
Simbulan assured that they are prepared to extend all necessary assistance as the municipality navigates the aftermath of the tragedy.
Baldo likewise confirmed 11 fatalities around 5 p.m.
Two individuals survived the horrific tragedy -- the truck driver and a van passenger.
“Ang isa sa buhay ay ’yung driver ng truck at isang nakasakay sa van,” Baldo told the Manila Bulletin.
(Two of the survivors were the truck driver and van passenger)
Authorities have yet to release additional details regarding the circumstances of the crash.
Police Lt. Col. Malu Calubaquib, spokesperson of Police Regional Office 5 (PRO-5), said they have not yet received an official accident report from the Camalig MPS.
Authorities are continuing their investigation and efforts to identify all victims are underway.