Man burns inside vehicle

CEBU, Philippines - A firewood vendor was burned to death after the vehicle he was driving fell off a 25-meter deep cliff in Barangay Cambanay, Danao City Wednesday afternoon.

The charred body of Renato Jugan, 59, of Barangay Poblacion, Liloan was recovered from his Tamaraw FX vehicle bearing GDF-632 by the Safari Rescue Team.

Jugan’s companions – Charlene Labrador, 18; Joshua Bontuyan, 5; and his live-in partner Chona Lucero – were able to disembark from the vehicle before the incident.

Jugan and his companions were in Cambanay to buy firewood.

SPO1 Renante Manulat, Danao City police traffic investigator, said Jugan told his companions to disembark from the vehicle so he could back off to make it easier for them to go down the rough road.

As Jugan was maneuvering his vehicle, he reportedly ran over a stone, which was supposed to be used to block the vehicle from moving downward.

“Niuntol iyang sakyanan human malatayi ang bato unya napawng, didto naligas na,” Manulat told The FREEMAN.

Police said Jugan failed to control his vehicle as it fell off the cliff because it lost its brakes.

The vehicle turned upside-down when it hit the ground. It then exploded and caught fire.

Elements from the Danao City Fire Station extinguished the fire minutes before the Safari Rescue Team went down the cliff and recovered Jugan’s body. — (FREEMAN)