At least 14 killed as truck falls off cliff in South Cotabato

At least 14 people were killed in a road accident in South Cotabato on Tuesday morning, according to reports reaching Camp Crame.

The victims were in a truck with plate number WNN 207 that fell off a cliff in Barangay Lamsalome in T'boli town at 10:35 a.m., the police report said.

T'boli Mayor Dibu Tuan told GMA News Online that the truck was loaded with passengers, mostly children, on their way home to Surallah town after a night of swimming in General Santos City.

“We are verifying reports that there are passengers admitted in the hospital who are in critical condition,” Tuan said in a phone interview.

He put the number of fatalities at 16.

Personnel from the Philippine Red Cross were already on the scene to help in the ongoing search efforts.

Search-and-rescue operations (SAR) are currently being conducted in Brgy. Lambangan, T’boli, South Cotabato invloving a forward truck that fell off a cliff en route to Surallah from General Santos. pic.twitter.com/mS1E989AGH

— Philippine Red Cross (@philredcross) September 17, 2019

Tuan said some of the survivors that he talked to in the hospital said that the driver shouted that the truck lost its brakes as they were traveling the newly opened T’boli-Gensan shortcut road.

Tuan said he could not give the exact number of the truck's passengers, but that there are more than 20 being treated in hospital.

“They are now confined in three hospitals including in South Cotabato Provincial Hospital and Upper Valley Community Hospital,” he said.

Tuan also said that the T'boli LGU will extend financial assistance to the victims.

The search for more victims and the retrieval of bodies was ongoing as of posting time. — with Williamor Magbanua/KBK/BM, GMA News