Death toll in Benguet road accident rises to 13

(Updated 5:10 p.m.) Three more victims succumbed to their injuries, bringing to 13 the number of fatalities of a road accident in Benguet province involving a utility vehicle that fell into an 80-meter-deep ravine Saturday afternoon in Buguias town, a followup police report said Sunday. Superintendent Davy Vicente Lim-mong, spokesman for the Cordillera regional police, said on Saturday 10 were declared dead at a hospital after the Ford Fiera (AAD 874) they were riding fell into the ravine at about 2:30 p.m. The 10 who died on Saturday were identified as In a followup report, Lim-mong on Saturday evening said a certain Marietta Gaspili died while undergoing treatment at the Benguet General Hospital (BGH), while a certain Melin Dasdas died on the way to the hospital. Meanwhile, on Sunday, Lim-mong said another victim, Braille Waclin, succumbed to her injuries at the BGH. Six others referred for treatment at BGH in La Trinidad, Benguet are: Basilio Baldos, Oronio Agyapas, Ambrocio Menzi, Nicole Waclin, Wela Waclin, and an unidentified male person, he added. A certain Jerry Bisaya Atas was unhurt as he was able to jump from the vehicle when he noticed that it was going in the wrong direction, said Lim-mong. The vicitms, he said, were heading towards Barangay Abatan when the vehicle fell into a ravine in Barangay Bayoyo. Benguet Governor Nestor Fongwan was quoted in a report on Saturday as saying the victims were on their way home to Mankayan town, and that investigators are getting information on the circumstances leading to the accident. Meanwhile, a Bombo Radyo report said the victims were on their way home from a party given by Mayor Melchor Diclas. — Amanda Fernandez /LBG/BM, GMA News