10 teachers, driver hurt in Cotabato road mishap

ALAMADA, Cotabato—At least 10 teachers of a state-owned school and a driver were hurt when the vehicle they were riding suffered mechanical trouble and leaped toward a roadside home here Thursday (Dec. 23).

Major Bryan Espinoza, Alamada town police chief, said the accident occurred along the national highway in Barangay Barangiran at past 3 p.m.

According to Espinoza, the brake system of the Toyota Hi-Ace van malfunctioned and the driver lost control of the vehicle.

The privately-owned van was heading to Cotabato City from Bukidnon when the accident happened. It carried 10 teachers of the Cotabato State University Laboratory High School in Cotabato City.

The police official said that all the occupants of the house were unharmed.

Four of the teachers, who sustained serious injuries, remained at a hospital in Alamada while the others only sustained minor injuries.

Last month, a van carrying personnel of the Bureau of Fire Protection in the Bangsamoro Region in Muslim Mindanao figured in an accident in the same village, killing the agency’s legal officer.

“We appeal to the commuters to slow down and take extra care when negotiating the highway to avoid accidents,” Espinoza appealed.