2 killed, 10 injured in Davao del Sur road accident

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Xinhua) - At least two people were killed and ten others injured in a vehicular accident in Davao del Sur yesterday, local police said today.

Investigators were still determining what caused the mishap involving a passenger van and a truck along a highway in Matanao town, in Mindanao's Davao del Sur province, at around 3 p.m. local time, said Antonio Rivera, Southern Mindanao regional police spokesperson.

The vehicles were coming from opposite direction when the accident occurred in Sinawilan village, and authorities were looking into reports that the truck driver had fallen asleep behind the wheel, causing the bigger vehicle to swerve and hit the oncoming van, Rivera told Xinhua by mobile phone.

Twelve people, mostly van passengers, were rushed to local hospitals but two of them died upon arrival, the police spokesperson said.

Traffic accidents kill at least a thousand people in the Philippines due to bad roads, poorly-maintained vehicles and speeding drivers, according to police.