6 killed in tricycle-truck collision

NORTH COTABATO, Philippines - Six commuters were killed over the weekend while another was critically injured when a speeding dump truck rammed a tricycle at a busy stretch of a national highway straddling through Pikit, North Cotabato, police said.

Inspector Mautin Pangandingan, chief of the Pikit municipal police, said the six fatalities were on board a tricycle, bound for a hospital somewhere at the town proper, when their vehicle collided head-on with the truck coming from the opposite direction of the highway.

“The tricycle driver overtook a vehicle ahead and was hit by the dump truck coming from the other side of the highway,” Pangandingan said.

Pangandingan identified the fatalities as Ibrahim, Mia and Rakma Cassanova, Tayan Sakalia, Abdil Kamid and Bagih Alimudin.

A tricycle passenger named Rahima, who was injured in the accident, is still fighting for her life at a hospital where she was rushed by responding policemen and barangay officials.

The driver of the dump truck and his helper both escaped and are still at large as of press time.