Truck rolls off road: 2 dead, 28 injured

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines — Two persons were killed while scores of passengers were injured when the truck they were riding rolled off the road due to heavy rains at Sta. Catalina town in Negros Oriental early yesterday.

An initial police report identified the fatalities as Nene Rodriguez and Abing Palomar, while the 28 others, including the truck driver, Andres Bahinting, were rushed to a hospital in this city.

Senior Inspector Rogelio Pacificar, chief of the Sta. Catalina Police, said investigation showed the truck, owned by the Sta. Catalina local government, was en route to the hinterland of sitio Kakha of Barangay Talalac in that town around 7 a.m. to attend a funeral.

When the truck reached sitio Manggulod of Barangay Poblacion, it rolled off the road, the ground of which was softened by continuous rains and was pulled down the descending portion of the road, resulting in the death of two and the injuries of the other passengers.

No other details as well as the identities of the injured were available as of press time while the police still continued with their investigation, added Pacificar.