Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Military rules out terrorism in tanker explosion
By Ulysses Israel
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- The military has ruled out terrorism in the explosion of the chemical tanker that killed 50 people and injured 65 others last Friday in Tigbao, Zamboanga del Sur province.
Western Mindanao Command Chief Eugenio Cedo said results of their investigation on the incident showed "it was a plain road accident."
The tanker truck, carrying liquefied sodium dioxide, was negotiating a downhill road on Friday when its brakes failed, causing it to slam into a mountainside and overturn, police said.
Witnesses saw smoke and fire underneath the tanker truck before it exploded, killing many passengers on a minibus that was following the truck and other motorists who had been slowed by the accident, police said.
Earlier reports aired over local radio stations said terrorists might have a hand in the explosion.
Families of the victims said they feared that if terrorists were behind the tanker explosion, they would not receive compensation from the insurance firm of the bus company. The ill-fated bus was only a few meters away from the tanker when it exploded.
Western Mindanao Police Chief Jaime Caringal said the RS bus was bound for Imelda town from Pagadian City.
Roselle Sarip, officer-in-charge of Philippine Accident Managers, Inc.--the insurance firm that handles the insurance account of RS Transit, said the bus was insured with a "no fault clause," meaning whatever the cause of the accident and whoever was in fault the insurance firm has the obligation to pay the death claims as well as the hospital bills of injured passengers.
"We are willing to pay the amount as stated in the insurance coverage of the bus," she said.
She said the insurance firm is obligated to pay P60,000 for death claims and up to P12,000 worth of hospital bills per passenger.
The bus was wrecked beyond recognition and many of its estimated 50 passengers, some children, were torn to pieces by the force of the blast.
Police Regional Office 9 Public Information Officer Jose Bayani Gucela said Archie Tan, a helper of the trailer truck, told police investigators that the truck, owned by Recasa Trading Services of Cavite, came from Cagayan de Oro City and was delivering liquefied sodium dioxide (Na2O2).
"In our papers, it is carbon dioxide but we were actually delivering sodium dioxide," he told the police.
It was not, however, clear why there was a discrepancy in the actual content of the tank and what was indicated in its papers.
Sarip said the insurance firm and the adjuster would have difficulty determining the exact number of passengers of the ill-fated bus. It was estimated that the passenger bus was carrying from 35 to 50 passengers, she said.
"The driver (of the bus), who survived the accident, could not ascertain how many passengers he was carrying at that time," she said. She said there were four death certificates submitted, thus far, to her office for validation.
The Land Transport Franchising and Regulatory Board has directed the insurance firm not to release any money unless claimants are able to present the complete documents. (Sunnex/With AP)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Cebu. (February 6, 2007 issue)
Write letter to the editor. Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board. Click here. |
14 problem spots in Cebu's polls