Zamboanga del Sur highway crash death toll climbs to 7, 13 hurt

PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur – The fatalities in the highway tragedy in Dumalinao, Zamboanga del Sur, involving a speeding van that allegedly lost its brakes on Tuesday noon, have climbed to seven, and 13 others were injured, the local government unit (LGU) said.

Initial reports Tuesday afternoon confirmed only six individuals dead, five of them on the spot.

READ: 6 dead in Dumalinao, Zamboanga del Sur road mishap

The Dumalinao government expressed its sympathies to the victims of the road disaster, urging the public to refrain from sharing unverified information, photos, or the victims’ identities, and to respect the privacy of affected families.

“To everyone affected by this tragedy, you are in our thoughts and prayers,” the LGU said in a statement issued Tuesday evening.

The LGU also acknowledged the different responders who immediately rushed to the crash site at the national highway in Barangay Paglaum.

The immediate responders included the Dumalinao Municipal Police Station, Municipal Fire Station, Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), Rural Health Unit (RHU), traffic enforcers, and concerned community members.

Dumalinao Mayor Raul Famor said additional support arrived later from the Zamboanga del Sur Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), the Pagadian City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), and the Regional, Provincial, and City Bureau of Fire Protection Special Rescue Force (SRF). 

“They joined in the difficult rescue and recovery efforts,” he said.

Responders worked together to retrieve trapped victims, administer first aid and triage, and transport the injured to medical facilities in Pagadian City.

The clearing operation was completed at around 4:15 p.m. with the assistance of municipal motor pool personnel, who used the local government’s boom truck to remove the vehicles involved.

An initial police report said the crash occurred when a speeding silver metallic passenger van allegedly lost its brakes, hit a motorcycle, and rammed into a parked wing van.

READ: Speeding van with lost brakes blamed for deaths of 6 in Zamboanga

The van was bound for Pagadian City from Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay.

Authorities said an investigation is still ongoing to determine the circumstances behind the accident./coa