Death toll in Vizcaya road accident reaches 12

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Viz­caya – Four more passengers of last Friday’s road accident here died yesterday while undergoing treatment at several hospitals in the region, bringing to 12 the total number of deaths in the incident, the worst to happen this year. 

This, as 16 more are reportedly still in critical state after their passenger mini-bus they were riding plunged into a deep ravine while negotiating a steep zigzag portion of the national highway at sitio Ori­wong, or known here as “Death Valley” in Barangay Nag­sa­baran in mountain Diadi town around 1:30 p.m. on Friday.

The victims include Irene Anas, 44; Benjamin Domingue; Irene Tag-ing, 26; Daisybel Kiling, 19; Udaya Pagala, 80; David Pattig, 48, all of Quirino province; and Christian Ino­biahan, 12; Dionisio Dao-ay; Ogmay Anudon, 18; and Peter Pocapio, 38, the owner and river of the bus, all of Ifugao.

Inspector Jeffrey Bulong, officer-in-charge of the Diadi police office, said that the ill-fated Crude Special minibus was on its way from Maddela, Quirino to Hungduan, Ifugao via Bagabag, Quezon, when its breaks failed, causing the driver to lose control of  it.  

The bus, carrying at least 30 passengers, eventually fell into a 15-20 meter deep ravine. Reports said six of the passengers, including a child and the driver, died on the spot due to serious injuries on different parts of the body while two more expired while on their way to a hospital in nearby Cordon town, Isabela.

The remaining passengers, it was learned, are still fighting for their lives at various hospitals here and in Isabela and Quirino provinces.

Retrieval operations for a missing passenger by the local government of Diadi led by Mayor Marvic Padilla are still ongoing, owing to the extremely steep terrain, thick vegetation and lack of access to where the bus fell.