5 dead, 9 hurt as van falls into ravine in Mountain Province

 Five people were killed and nine were injured when the passenger van they were riding in fell into a 50-meter deep ravine in Barangay Ampawilen, Sadanga, Mountain Province, on Friday night, April 4.

A PASSENGER van plunged into a ravine in Barangay Ampawilen, Sadanga, Mountain Province on Friday night, April 4. Five people were killed.

According to the Sadanga Municipal Police Station, the driver of a white van with license plates NDA-9883 lost control of the vehicle due to slippery road following a downpour and plunged into a ravine and  river at about 10 p.m.

Authorities extracted the victims and four were declared dead on the spot.

They were  Vance Quinto Hernandez Jr., 45, driver; Gerardo Navarro, 36; Veronica Hipolito, 36; and a woman wearing a gray T-shirt and black leggings.

The fifth, Niño Belando, was declared dead on arrival at the hospital.

The injured who are now at the Bontoc General Hospital, Bontoc, Mountain Province were Mary Joy Reyes, 45; Archie Reyes, 25; Cherish Quimpan, 20; Manuel Lap, 26; Elvis Acupan, 25; Ham Sua, 23; Arlette Sarmiento, 23; Christine Cuidamat, 20, and Dan Dacoycoy, 24.

The victims were reportedly on their way to Tinglayan, Kalinga when the accident happened.

Police reminded drivers to be careful when driving in the mountainous areas of the Cordillera region, particularly during and after rain.