5 killed as SUV falls into Benguet ravine

TUBA, Benguet, Philippines – Five passengers of a sports utility vehicle died and another was seriously hurt after their vehicle plunged into a ravine along Kennon Road here yesterday morning.

Senior Superintendent Benjamin Lusad, Benguet police director, identified the fatalities as Francisco Orencia, 55, who drove the Mitsubishi Pajero; Cleotilda Balderas, 61; Marie Margarette Caoili, 52; Ma. Reginald Jaramillo, 63; and a woman known only as Jenny from Tarlac. Injured was Marilou Camacho, 62.

Lusad said the SUV skidded because of the wet and slippery road and fell into the 40-foot ravine in Sitio Tokang, Camp 3 here.

There have been intermittent rains in Baguio and in the rest of Benguet for the past three days, rendering most of the mountain roads slippery. – Artemio Dumlao, Cecille Suerte Felipe