14 hurt as jeep falls into 300-meter ravine in Baguio

At least 14 passengers, most of them working for television relay stations, were injured after their jeep fell into a 300-meter ravine in Benguet province late Monday. Sun-Star Baguio (www.sunstar.com.ph) reported Wednesday that the passengers were on their way down to Baguio City when the jeep lost its brakes and hit a pine tree. The incident occurred along Km. 14 of Santo Tomas Road in Tuba, Benguet. Police initially identified the victims as Marciano Avis, 42, a policeman assigned to the Tuba Municipal Police Station; Aaron Teban, a broadcast technician of NBN Channel 8; Abner Buyay, 32, a broadcast technician of GMA Channel 10; Marcos Jammas, 31; Renato Patungay, 31, a security guard of Globe Telecom; Eddie Azul, 45, a broadcast technician of ABS-CBN Channel 3; Esmeraldo Secretario, 40, a security guard of RPN Channel 12; Arjay Tamaquin, 27, a security guard of Globe Telecom; Rafael Adiwang, 37, the ill-fated vehicle’s driver; and James Pumecha, 22, a security guard of Globe Telecom. Two others were identified at the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC) emergency ward as Joe Ao-asen and Nelson Wacnang. They are also security guards of Globe Telecom. Initial investigation showed the owner-type jeep was on its way down to Baguio at 4 p.m. Monday when its steering wheel cable reportedly snapped. This reportedly made the vehicle jump off the steep ravine and turn turtle several times, before a pine tree broke its fall. After 10 of the 14 reported victims were rushed to BGHMC for treatment, Avis and Teban were ordered confined for observation. The two were treated for nasal bone fracture and a broken tibia, respectively. The rest, after undergoing x-ray examinations, were only treated for minor abrasions. - GMANews.TV