2 dead in train mishap

A 54-year-old woman and her three-year-old granddaughter were crushed to death after being run over by a Taguig-bound train at the Pandacan train station yesterday.

Police reports identified the victims as Elena Cerdena and her granddaughter Althea, both of 648 Tomas Claudio Street, Sampaloc, Manila.

Investigation showed that the victims trying to board the train at about 9:19 a.m. when the old woman, who was clutching the child, slipped and fell.

Police said the train was moving when the victims tried to get aboard.

They said the victims fell underneath the coaches and were dragged several meters before the train stopped.

Police said the victims suffered serious injuries in the head and body. They were declared dead on the spot.

Bayani Maninding, the train operator, allegedly fled after the incident and is now being tracked down by police.

Relatives of the victims told police that Cerdena and her granddaughter had planned to celebrate New Year’s Eve at the house of a relative in Taguig. – Mike Frialde