4 pastors among 10 Koreans who died in P’sinan road accident

BOLINAO, Pangasinan – Relatives of the 10 Koreans who died in a road mishap along the national highway in Barangay Sampaloc this town past noon Wednesday arrived here and identified the bodies.

Four of them were pastors of a Born Again Christian group while two were honeymooners.

A list provided by retired Philippine Air Force Col. Cesar Manzano, owner of the Gethsemane Memorial Park Inc./Funeral Parlor in Barangay Palamis, Alaminos City where the victims were brought, identified the casualties as: Lee In Chul, businessman; Park Sung Don, male, pastor; Jeong Jeong Hee, housewife; Park Pu Ah, housewife; Park Soo Jin, male, pastor; Park Tae Sung, male, pastor; Han Youn Oh, housewife; Lee Su-Keon, male, mechanical engineer; Kwac Byung Bae, male, pastor; and Choi Mi Kyung, five years old, female, student.

Their relatives arrived at the funeral parlor to get their bodies.

Pangasinan police director Senior Supt. Isagani Nerez meanwhile said nine fatalities were taken
by the Korean association and their families to Manila and would be flown to Korea for burial.
One was brought to Baguio City. The victims’ ages range from 20 to 40.

The accident happened when the Hyundai van they rode in from Baguio en route to Garden Paradise Resort in this town rammed into the concrete wall of a warehouse in the middle of heavy rainfall.

The victims wore swimming attire when the accident happened as they reportedly dropped by Alaminos City for a swim at the Hundred Islands before proceeding to their billeting area here.

“It looked like they were asleep when the tragic incident happened because witnesses said they did not hear shouts,” Manzano said.

Senior Insp. Rizaldy Dalope, Bolinao police chief, told newsmen they returned to the accident site noon time Thursday with the victims’ relatives and recovered their other belongings.
He said the blue green van, (RDN 423), where the victims rode in was old and a total wreck.

It was said to have encountered mechanical defects that caused the accident while it was speeding on the road.

Dalope said they were already finalizing their reports that would be needed for the bodies to be brought home to Korea.

He said the Koreans arrived in the Philippines a few days ago only.