11 dead in Zambales road mishap

BOTOLAN, Zambales , Philippines  – Eleven persons died and four others were critically injured when a delivery van collided with a multicab along the national road in Barangay Carael in this town.

Police identified the fatalities as Romulo Mantes, May Villanueva, Josephine Dorde, Maritess de la Cruz, Evangeline Capistrano, Linda Ruato, Kenneth Ivan Capistrano, Rosie Candule, Angelo  de la Cruz, Arvin Villanueva and Daniel Jay Dorde, residents of Sitio Ulpoy, Barangay Amungan in Iba. Seven of them died at the scene and three were pronounced dead on arrival at the President Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Hospital.

Francis Mathew, 5; Marilyn Abella, 30; Jefferson Villanueva, 26, and Dario Torres, 36, were confined in the same hospital.

Investigation showed the vehicles were traveling in opposite directions when one of the tires of the van burst. The van skidded and hit the multicab.

The victims were on their way home from a seminar at the Ramon Magsaysay Technological University in this town when the accident occurred.

Meanwhile, in Isabela, two persons died and two others were injured when their van rammed a parked dump truck lighting a road concreting project in Barangay Siamar Sur in San Mateo town at around 9 p.m. also on Thursday.

Van driver William Dumau and Amadito Lumandaz died at the scene. Their companions Marlon Ramirez and Albert Galot were taken to a hospital for treatment.

The driver of the truck, Artemio Villar, 48, surrendered to responding policemen.

In Ilocos Norte, 15 persons were injured when a Toyota Hi-Ace van and a passenger jeepney collided in Barangay Buyon in Bacarra town. –  With Raymund Catindig