5 dead, 38 hurt in road mishap

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet, Philippines – A truck plunged into an 80-meter ravine along the Baguio-Bontoc Road (Halsema Highway) in Bauko, Mountain Province Saturday night, killing at least five persons and seriously injuring 38 others.

Doma Angdasen, Efren Bukasan, Maggay Lartec, Badul Palag-oc and another victim identified only as Ngiti were killed when the Isuzu Elf truck they were riding fell into a ravine in Sitio Lukib, Monamon Sur, Bauko, Mt. Province.

The mishap reportedly happened at around 7:30 Friday night while the victims, who were on their way home after attending a wedding in Baguio City, were traveling aboard the truck bound for Mountain Province.

All the victims were residents of Barangay Gensadan, Bauko, Mt. Province.

Cordillera police spokesman Superintendent Englebert Soriano said one of the survivors told investigators that the driver —Thomas Magadia —could have dozed off and eventually lost control of the vehicle.

Soriano said the ill-fated truck fell further down to around 200 meters from where it first plunged after rescuers brought out all the casualties and survivors.

Benguet police director Senior Superintendent Benjamin Lusad, whose police force in Buguias town in Benguet helped in the rescue and retrieval operations, said the survivors were brought to the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center while some were brought to the Lutheran Hospital and the Bekes Emergency Hospital also in the town of Bauko.—Cecille Suerte Felipe, Charlie Lagasca