Cotabato road mishap: 13 dead

KORONADAL CITY, North Cotabato — Thirteen people were killed yesterday when a passenger jeepney smashed into a 10-wheeler truck along the national highway in Carmen town in the province, police said.

Central Mindanao police director Chief Superintendent Felizardo Serapio said the jeepney driver Allan Balono was killed instantly along with four children who were among the 13 fatalities.

The dead were lined up along the roadside covered with banana leaves and blankets before they were taken away, Carmen police chief Senior Inspector Reynante Cabico said.

Cabico said Balono had just overtaken an Isuzu Elf truck along the national highway in Barangay General Luna when he smashed into the 10-wheeler hauler truck coming from the opposite side.

ìThe impact of the collision was so strong that the noise it created was heard hundreds of meters away,î Cabico said.

Serapio said the road accident also left 20 others critically injured.

The driver of the truck, identified as Gerry delos Reyes, and his helper fled the crash scene but later surrendered to police, Cabico said. The truck had a load of 200 bags of cement for delivery.

Cabico identified some of the fatalities as Mokamad Saidula, Lugaya Matalam, Kutog Amil Sapal, Lubaida Balabagan, Umbay Mustapha and Tong Umbadil.

Another passenger identified as Nanogod Guimba died from multiple body injuries while being treated at a nearby hospital in Kabacan.

The passengers were on their way to Cotabato City to meet a relative returning from Saudi Arabia.

Several more people were injured and were taken to a nearby hospital, he said. De los Reyes, on the other hand, was unhurt and later surrendered to the police. - Ramil Bajo, John Unson, AP