1 dead, 5 hurt as tanker truck rams 3 vehicles, explodes in Atimonan, Quezon

One person died while five others were injured after a tanker truck lost its brakes and exploded along the Maharlika Highway in Atimonan, Quezon on Monday.

According to JP Soriano’s report on “24 Oras,” the tanker exploded and caught on fire past 6:30 a.m. in Barangay Malinaw.

The Atimonan Police said the truck driver died while three students and two tricycle drivers sustained third-degree burns.

The police and witnesses told GMA Integrated News that the truck came from a slope when it lost its brakes and hit a trailer truck that was already there due to an earlier incident.

Due to the impact, the tanker tipped over and slid across the highway, hitting the two tricycles in front.

The police said the fire started after the tanker hit the pavement.  The blaze also gutted the tricycles.

A house, a sari-sari store, cable wires, trees, and a motorcycle were also burned.

The incident also caused panic among residents.

The injured victims were brought to a hospital and Antimonan. The three students were then tranfered to the East Medical Center in Quezon City due to the severity of their burns.

One of the tricycle drivers said he hit his vehicle in the gutter after seeing it catch fire, then ran toward the mountain with the students.

The father of one of the victims asked for cooperation and aid from the tanker’s owner.

A section of the highway was temporarily closed while the fire was being extinguished.

The Antimonan police said this has been the third incident that a vehicle lost its brakes in the past three months.

It reminded motorists to be careful and slow down when passing the said road section to avoid accidents. —Mariel Celine Serquiña/LDF, GMA Integrated News