A FIREMAN died while six others were wounded in a collision between a pick-up type sports utility vehicle (SUV) and a passenger bus in the province of Zamboanga del Norte, the police said Saturday, September 14.
Police Major Helen Galvez, Police Regional Office-Zamboanga Peninsula information officer, said the incident happened around 4 a.m. Friday along the national highway in Kayok village, Liloy, Zamboanga del Norte.
Galvez identified the lone fatality as Fire Officer 1 Clayton Sabanal, 33, assigned with the fire station in Salug town, Zamboanga del Norte.
She said those wounded were all passengers of the SUV driven by Sabanal and were identified as follows: Josephose Alisna, 30; Richard Cabardo; Jayson Acla, 18; Alfahad Muksan; Jolito Gomez, 21; and John Dave Oxino, 17.
Investigation showed the passenger bus of the Rural Transit Mindanao, Incorporated driven by Noel Florez, 42 and the SUV collided while traveling on opposite directions along the slippery curved highway brought about by heavy downpour spawned by Tropical Depression Marilyn.
All of the people aboard the passenger bus were unscathed although both vehicles were damaged, Galvez added.
She added the injured victims were admitted at the Liloy Integrated Health District Hospital for treatment. (SunStar Philippines)