Soldier killed, 15 others injured as military truck falls off ravine

PFC Leandro Gabriel de Asis (contributed photo)

ILIGAN CITY, Lanao del Norte, Philippines — A soldier was killed and 15 others were injured when the military truck they were riding on fell into a ravine in a hinterland village here on Friday, March 6.

Lt. Col. Domingo Dulay, Jr., commander of the Army’s 4th Mechanized Infantry Battalion, said Pfc. Class Leandro Gabriel de Asis died Friday night while being treated for severe injuries in a hospital here.

Two civilian militia members were put under intensive care. Meanwhile, 13 Army regulars were pronounced in stable condition, Dulay added.

Four other soldiers were discharged from the hospital Friday night as they had only minor injuries.

The soldiers were heading towards their headquarters from hinterland Barangay Kalilangan when the truck slipped off the road and fell into the ravine.

Dulay said the road was newly scraped and filled with limestone.

The soldiers were securing the weekly “People’s Day” program of the city government, in line with the Army’s Community Support Program that aimed to eradicate the influence of communist rebels in far-flung communities.

/atm