BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — Seven persons died and three others were wounded in a road accident in Sitio Montanop, Barangay Chalalo in Aguinaldo, Ifugao yesterday.
Police identified the fatalities as Whilma Chumatog, 18; Ricky Chog-ap; Josephine Uhuban; Rosita Paynohon, 68; Vicente Buyag-ao, 58, and truck driver, Joey Tambiag, 40, and his wife Divina, 36.
Artisto Paynohon, 39; Fernando Bahiwag and Kimberly Joy Tambiyag, 7, were injured and brought to a hospital for treatment.
Initial investigation showed the victims came from a wake in Barangay Mahjong. They hitched a ride on an Isuzu Elf truck on their way to Barangay Ubao when the vehicle fell into a ravine 10 meters deep.
The driver reportedly lost control of the wheel when the brake malfunctioned while driving down the road.
Probers said it is the single highway accident in the Cordilleras with the most number of fatalities so far this year.
An investigation is ongoing. – With Emmanuel Tupas, Victor Martin