SCTEX road mishap casualties were on their way to youth camp, family vacation

Eight of the 10 casualties from the road crash on SCTEX (Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway) were supposed to attend a youth camp of a religious organization in Pangasinan.

That's according to Tarlac Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) chief Marvin Guiang, who detailed that the eight casualties were passengers of a Nissan Urvan from Antipolo City.

“Marami po talaga yung nasa Nissan Urvan. Kasi siyam po ang sakay, walo po dun ang namatay… Actually ma'am apat po yung bata, apat po yung adult,” Guiang said in an interview over Super Radyo dzBB.

(There were actually a lot of people in the Nissan Urvan. Because there were nine people on board, eight of them died. Actually, four were children, and four were adults.)

“Aattend lang ng youth camp sa isang religious group po na gagawin sa Pangasinan kaya po may mga bata,” he added.

(They were supposed to attend a youth camp for a religious group in Pangasinan. That's why there were minors.)

According to Guiang, the Nissan Urvan was severely damaged from the impact of the speeding bus.

“Mabilis po talaga (bus). [‘Yung] impact ng insidente, kung ang sukat halimbawa ng Nissan Urvan ay 10 feet, naging 3 feet na lang po yung van eh,” he described.

(The bus was speeding. Due to the impact, if the size of the Nissan Urvan was 10 feet, it was flattened to 3 feet.)

“Talaaga pong napipi siya, na compact po talaga pati yung mga sakay sa loob kaya po kami nahirapan…kasi nagdikit dikit po yung mga katawan, nag-ekis-ekis ‘yung kamay [at] paa,” he said.

(It was really flattened because of the impact and the bodies inside were smashed and deformed.)

The eight cadavers are still in a funeral parlor in Tarlac. The cost was already shouldered by the Tarlac Provincial Government, he said.

Family vacation

Meanwhile, the Tarlac PDRRMO chief said that the two other casualties from an SUV were supposed to go to Baguio City for a family vacation.

The two were with their two-year-old son, who survived the mishap and sustained minor injuries.

“Kagabi po ay sinundo siya ng mga uncle at auntie niya. Kasabay po ng pagkuha din sa dalawang cadaver, ‘yung parents po ng bata. So, naiuwi na po kagabi sa Bulacan, [sa] Plaridel,” he said.

(Last night, his uncle and auntie picked him up. At the same time, the two cadavers were also picked up by the child's parents. They were brought home last night in Bulacan, Plaridel.)

Guiang narrated that the responders did not notice at first that the child was inside the SUV.

“Di namin akalain na may bata pa sa loob…Naka-child seat siya… During the extrication po, wala kaming narinig na iyak ng bata or kumakatok. Wala po talaga kaming narinig. Until such time na nabuksan namin ‘yung kotse, tsaka nakita ‘yung bata,” he said.

(We didn't think there was a child inside. He was in a child seat. During the extrication, we didn't hear the child crying or knocking. We didn't hear anything. It wasn't until that moment that we opened the car and saw the child.)

The Tarlac PDRRMO head also corrected the number of injured individuals from the accident from the initial 37 to 30.

Of the 30 injured, 27 were already discharged.

Testimonies

Testimonies

Guiang also relayed testimonies of passengers of the bus, who told them that they already asked their driver to slow down as they were approaching the toll plaza.

“Base po sa mga testamento ng mismong pasahero ng bus, bago pa po sila makarating sa pinangyarihan ng aksidente, may isang babae…tumayo po talaga siya at sinabihan ‘yung driver na ‘Bagalan niyo na sir. Malapit na tayo. Baka tayo ay mabangga,’” Guiang said.

(Based on the testimonies of the bus passengers themselves, before they even reached the scene of the accident, a woman stood up and told the driver to slow down as they were already near their destination and something might happen.)

“Lahat po ng pasahero na nadala sa ospital kahapon isa lang ang sinasabi, nakatulog po talaga ‘yung driver. Talagang ginising siya talaga,” he added.

(All the passengers who were taken to the hospital yesterday said the same thing. The driver really fell asleep. They had to wake him up.)

The bus driver is currently in police custody after he got medical attention.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is set to meet bus companies on Friday to discuss concerns following the fatal crash on Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX). —Hana Bordey/ VAL, GMA Integrated News