Truck helper dies in port area accident

MANILA, Philippines—A truck helper was crushed to death by a large coil of steel wire rod, weighing close to a ton, that fell on him at the port area in Manila on Monday.

Angelito Cortes, of Mexico, Pampanga, died instantly under the weight of the coil.

Senior Police Officer 1 Milbert Balinggan, of the Manila Police District homicide section, said that the incident happened at around 6 p.m. inside the cargo lift area of the Lighterage Corporation at the Baseco Compound in the Port Area.

Balinggan revealed that Cortes was assisting a crane operator, who was loading some 880 kilograms of coil onto a truck, when the cable wound around it snapped while it was hovering above the truck helper.

The impact crushed the victim’s head and upper portion of his body.

Cortes’ body was brought to the St. Yvan funeral parlor for autopsy and safekeeping while operatives of the MPD homicide section conduct further investigation on the incident.