MANILA, 3 November 2003 — Nine people were killed and 45 others were injured in two separate road accidents in the northern Philippines as the nation observed All Saints’ Day on Saturday, police reported yesterday.
Eight of the victims died when a passenger jeepney fell into a 70-foot deep excavation site in Manila’s suburb of Mandaluyong on Saturday night, according to the police. Seven of them died instantly and two others died early yesterday in hospital, while five others were still under treatment.
The victims were mostly relatives who had come from a Christian prayer meeting in nearby Quezon City and were on their way to southern Metro Manila.
Rescue officials identified the fatalities as jeepney driver Reynaldo Destura, Ernesto Ricamara, Ignacia Ricamara, 61-year-old Salvacion Destura, 9-year-old Rey Ryan Destura, Veronica Guiyab, Romulo Jacatane and Lilibeth Galang.
The survivors were identified as seven-year-old Clarence Destura, Ronald Falleria, Divine Guiyab, 5-year-old Daniel Guiyab, and Reggie Abella.
Rescuers said it was a “miracle’ that there were even survivors in the accident.
The accident happened when the jeepney tried to enter the yellow lane along Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) but was sideswiped by a speeding passenger bus.
The driver of the jeepney apparently swerved after the vehicle’s brakes failed, jumping a curb, crashing through a fence and dropping about 30 meters (about 100 feet) to the bottom of the pit, the Metro Manila Development Authority said.
The site is being excavated to build a basement for a condominium building in Mandaluyong City, along metropolitan Manila’s busiest road.
In the northern province of Isabela, a child was killed and 40 others were injured when a passenger bus overturned also on Saturday on a highway.
A police report said the bus was negotiating a curve when the driver lost control, causing the bus to skid and overturn.
The accident happened in the town of Cordon, on the borders of Isabela and Nueva Viscaya, 285 kilometers north of Manila. “According to investigators, the highway was wet during the accident due to heavy rains brought about by a typhoon which was pummeling the area,” it said.
On Friday, nine people were killed and five others were injured when a mini-bus plunged into a ravine in Buguias town in the nearby highland province of Benguet.
In another incident, seven people in Pangasinan province were struck by lightning while visiting the tombs of dead relatives on Saturday, the national police said yesterday.
The victims were taken to a hospital after the freak accident took place Saturday during a heavy downpour at town cemetery of Binmaley town, 180 kilometers (110 miles) northwest of Manila.
Police officer Guillermo Gutierrez said all were in stable condition. While not burned, the victims complained of pain throughout their bodies, particularly in their feet.
“They said they felt like they were hit by a blunt object or were electrified,” said Gutierrez, one of the officers who brought the victims to the hospital.
Millions of Filipinos flock to cemeteries nationwide on All Saints’ Day to pay respect to relatives who have passed away.
