6 soldiers, 2 civilians hurt in Maguindanao highway accident

MAGUINDANAO, Philippines — Six soldiers and two civilians were badly injured when a dump truck hit the lead car in the convoy of Sultan Kudarat Gov. Suharto Mangudadatu in Datu Odin Sinsuat town Saturday.

Major Gen. Juvymax Uy, commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, said the victims were immediately rushed on order of the governor to the private Notre Dame Hospital in Cotabato City by police personnel from Datu Odin Sinsuat and Datu Anggal Midtimbang towns in Maguindanao.

Uy said the governor has assured support for the medication of the injured soldiers, who belong to the Army’s 7th Infantry Battalion, a unit under 6th ID.

“I’m grateful to the municipal police stations in Datu Odin Sinsuat and Datu Anggal Midtimbang for the immediate transport of the injured soldiers to a hospital in Cotabato City,” Uy said.

The victims were in a pick-up truck leading the convoy of local executives from Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat that a wayward dump truck full of filling aggregates rammed while motoring through a stretch of a national highway in Barangay Baca in Datu Odin Sinsuat.

Investigators from the Datu Odin Sinsuat municipal police are now probing on the highway mishap with the help of witnesses. 

Two civilians were also hurt in the accident.