Embassy in Wellington, POLO assist family of Filipino killed in road accident
MANILA, Philippines (Updated June 22, 1:21 p.m.) —The Philippine Embassy and the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in New Zealand said it will help to the family of Filipinos reportledy killed in a road accident over the weekend in Picton.
West Coast Police in Nelson, Marlborough reported a “serious crash” at Mt. Pleasant between a van and a refrigerated goods truck around 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, which ended up blocking State Highway 1.
Local authorities said the accident killed seven people on board the van, including a child and the driver, and injured two. Both of the injured individuals were flown to Wellington Hospital for treatment.
“Our condolences and prayers for our Kababayan who perished in Picton,” Philippine Ambassador to New Zealand Jesus Domingo said in a Facebook post on Tuesday morning.
“The Embassy and POLO in Wellington are assisting the family," Domingo said.
Meanwhile, the truck driver sustained minor injuries.
In an update on Monday morning, authorities said the injured are still in the hospital — one is said to be in serious condition while the other is in a “serious but stable condition.”
The West Coast Police said it is also extending support to the victims as well as making sure the incident is “fully investigated.”
“Any death on our roads is a tragedy, let alone multiple fatalities in one crash,” it said on Saturday.
“A crash of this scale has a huge impact on both the community where it happens, that of the deceased’s family and community, and on emergency services who attend.”
Seven Filipinos in the crash
In an update on Tuesday evening, the foreign service post said two of the survivors and five of the fatalities are Filipinos.
“Embassy officials visited the survivors, presently confined at the Wellington Regional Hospital, to offer help and consolation. The embassy is coordinating with DFA Headquarters as to the needs of the victims and their family,” it said.
It also requested friends and supporters “to understand their plight and to respect their privacy.”
In a story published by the New Zealand Herald, the family aboard the van reportedly came from a funeral of another family member.— Kaycee Valmonte
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