4 die in vehicle smashup in Davao

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Xinhua) - At least four people were killed in a multiple-vehicle smashup along a road intersection in Davao City yesterday afternoon, local police said today.

Chief Inspector Jed Clamor, spokesperson for Southern Mindanao regional police, told Xinhua by text message that according to initial investigation, the accident occurred around 3:15 p.m. Saturday when dozens of vehicles were stuck at the traffic snarl at an intersection of the Davao-Cotabato road and the Ulas Diversion Road in Davao.

"A wayward cement mixer plowed into other vehicles during a traffic jam," said Clamor, adding that the cement mixer then went out of control and hit two other vehicles, including a ten-wheel truck and a motorbike.

Clamor said massive impact killed three people - the drivers of the cement mixer and the motorcar as well as a male motorcycle passenger - instantly. The truck driver died upon arrival at a local hospital, the police spokesperson added.

Traffic mishaps are common in the Philippines due to speeding by ill-disciplined motorists, bad roads and poorly-maintained vehicles, causing hundreds of fatalities every year, according to police estimates.