IPIL, Zamboanga Sibugay -- Four commuters, including a teenager, died while 23 others were wounded when the passenger jeepney they were riding fell into a roadside ditch in a remote area in nearby Zamboanga del Norte province.
Senior Superintendent Edwin Wagan, Zamboanga del Norte police director, said the incident took place around 7:05 a.m. Thursday in Barangay Denuyan, Siayan municipality.
Wagan identified the fatalities as Nelson Deparine, 37, Arnel Arcilla, 39, Nardo Boligao, 48 and Jayson Boligao, 17.
They were rushed to the Sindangan District Hospital but were pronounced dead on arrival by doctors.
He said 10 of the 23 wounded were children and the youngest among them is a six-year old girl.
He added that the oldest among the 13 adult victims is a 57-year-old woman.
Investigation siad the victims were aboard a “Bongo” type vehicle driven by Jayward Ginggo, 32, traveling from Dumingag, Zamboanga del Sur to Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte when the vehicle’s brake malfunctioned while passing a sharp curve.
Wagan said the vehicle crashed into a roadside hill and tumbled into the concrete canal as Ginggo lost control of the vehicle’s steering wheel.
He said some of the wounded victims suffered minor injuries while the others were hospitalized. (PNA)