MANILA, Philippines – Eleven people who had just come from a wake were killed and five were injured in a vehicular collision early Thursday morning, July 11, in Cagayan in northern Philippines, according to the Cagayan Provincial Information Office (PIO).
In a Facebook post, the Cagayan PIO said the collision happened in Barangay Ayaga, Abulug town, Cagayan. It also posted photos of the two vehicles involved, a red Florida bus and a black Toyota Hilux SUV pickup.
The photos show the black Toyota SUV an almost total wreck and the Florida bus’ front windshield badly damaged. The Hilux apparently also crashed into a public stall after the collision.
In an interview with radio DZBB, Abulug Police Station Commander Major Antonio Palattao said the collision happened past midnight at a highway intersection in the village of Ayaga.
He said all 11 killed were passengers of the Toyota Hilux. They were members of a clan and had just come from a relative’s wake in Apayao in the Cordillera Administrative Region.
Palattao said the pickup driver and two young girls seated in front of the pickup were injured and were brought to a hospital along with the Florida bus driver and the bus conductor.
He said the Florida bus, which came from Ilocos region and was on its way to Sta. Ana, Cagayan, had “right of way” on the national highway but was not able to avoid the Toyota SUV after the latter suddenly appeared at the highway junction Ayaga.
Palattao said the collision could have been avoided had the vehicles slowed down at the intersection.
Twenty-three passengers of the Florida bus sustained minor injuries and had all gone home.
In an interview with TeleRadyo Serbisyo (formerly DZMM), Police Master Sergeant Alexis Jipolio of the Abulug Municipal Station said there were 14 people on the Toyota SUV.
Most of them were apparently seated at the bed of the Hilux pickup and fell off after the collision. They were dead on arrival at the hospital, said Palattao. – Rappler.com