11 injured in Bontoc-Banaue road mishap

By Francis B. Degay

BONTOC, Mountain Province – Eleven passengers were injured when a white Isuzu elf truck negotiating the foggy Bontoc-Banaue national road plunged down a 20-foot grassy ravine at Sitio Sumigar, Loboong, Hungduan, Ifugao afternoon of Jan. 9.

Senior Insp. Pablo Undalos, Bontoc police chief immediately organized his men in coordination with the Bontoc Emergency Response Team and personnel of the Bontoc General Hospital who responded to the accident.

The truck was reportedly filled with coconut fruits, plywood and GI sheets.

The vehicle with plate number CEX 983 owned by a certain Dante Mataag was driven by one Clifford Mataag.

Regional police who first responded to the tragic scene disclosed the driver was allegedly tuning the vehicle’s stereo at a curve of the national road when the accident happened.

Before the car fall down the ravine, it first bumped two alnus trees then rolled thrice.

In a phone interview with PO1 Jonathan Canilang, member of the rescue team, Mataag was not injured and was left at the tragic scene presumably to oversee the ill-fated vehicle and some baggage not yet retrieved while the injured passengers were brought to the hospital.

The injured rushed to the Bontoc Gen were identified as Juanaline Kinorman Paulino, 31; Rizza Chongaran Sumad-on, 31; Julius Finagaron Agrayon, 34; Mae Pearl Kinorman Paulino, 5; Beverly Ann Bangsail Kinorman, 11; Hazel Joy Bangsail Kinorman, 5; Flora Mae Marafo Kinorman, 14; Kyril Joy Marafo Kinorman, 12; Florida Joyce Kinorman Tarem, 17 and Frenzel Kinorman Tarem, 2.

The patients suffered contusions and injuries.

Another patient identified as Leander Kinorman Bangsail, 20, sustained a skull fracture and scalp hematoma was rushed to a nearby clinic in Banaue.

He was transferred to BGH the same day but was referred to the Baguio General Hospital Medical Center for further treatment.

One passenger who was identified as one Julia Tarem was not admitted at the BGH due to absence of an injury.

It was gathered that the passengers, all from Latang, Barlig, were on their way home from a wedding feast at Solano, Nueva Vizcaya.