FX falls in Mt Prov cliff; six killed, 2 wounded

By Darius Bajo and Alfred Dizon

BESAO, Mountain Province – Six persons died while two others were wounded when a Tamaraw FX vehicle they were riding in fell down a ravine here at Sitio Bunga, Catengan at dawn Thursday, April 21.
    A local police spot report to Cordillera police director Brig. Gen. Ronald O. Lee identified fatalities as Rhema Sumingwa, 18; Merley Docyogen, 17, both of Catengan; Lender Keith Alfonso, 19; Hazel Solang,19; Dalog Kawi Mangallay, 19 and Lip-aw Aligan, 21, all residents of Patiacan, Quirino, Ilocos Sur.
    Survivors were named as Lander Maticyeng, 17 and Novelyn Sagantiyok, 18 also of Patiacan.
Investigation disclosed Besao police received information from a concerned citizen that a vehicle fell from the road in Bunga.
    Personnel from police, fire, army barangay and community folks responded and found the gray Tamaraw FX with plate number UCZ 739 totally wrecked around 100 meters down the ravine.  
    Rescuers recovered bodies of the six victims which were declared dead by Dr. Joy Dicdican of Municipal Health Office who was one of responders.
    Survivors were brought to Besao District Hospital for medical treatment.
Investigation disclosed the incident happened around 4:30- 5 a.m. but only discovered by a local resident who came from his farm and encountered one of survivors who was seeking help around 4 p.m. that day.

The bodies of Sumingwa and Docyogen were brought to their respective residences in Catengan while those of Alfonso, Solang, Mangallay and Aligan were brought to Bunga, later transported to their respective homes in Bab-asig, Patiacan early morning of April 22 by their relatives and Catengan barangay officials.

The driver and owner of the ill-fated vehicle was identified as Dalog Kawi Mangallay who was one among the fatalities.

It was not known where the vehicle was headed since two of survivors made conflicting statements and there were no other reliable witnesses to corroborate their accounts, the report said.

Search and retrieval operations were still on at press time to ascertain if all passengers of the ill-fated vehicle were all accounted for.

 

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