Friday, August 15, 2008
15 killed in truck crash (2:30 p.m.)
MANILA -- Police say at least 15 hitchhikers were killed and 14 others injured when the truck they were riding in plunged into a ravine in a mining area.
Compostela Valley provincial police chief Ronald de la Rosa said the truck's brakes failed Friday and it swiftly descended down the ravine in a village outside Monkayo township.
The truck was coming from the gold mining area on Diwalawal mountain, about 575 miles (920 kilometers) southeast of Manila.
Hitchhiking is common in the area because of high transportation fares.
Such accidents are common in remote areas in the country because of poor vehicle maintenance and bad roads. (AP)
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