14 killed, 44 injured in Atimonan road accident
LUCENA CITY, Philippines – Fourteen people are confirmed dead and 44 injured in a multiple vehicle collision in Atimonan, Quezon, 173 kilometers southeast of Manila, early morning Saturday, according to a provincial disaster management official.
“My men are still in extracting two bus passengers who were both pinned down inside the bus wreckage. Hopefully, they will be extracted alive,” Henry Buzar, coordinator of Quezon Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
Buzar said he immediately dispatched a team of rescuers at the accident site.
“My staffs were having a hard time retrieving some of the wounded. Some of them were also pinned down inside the wreckage,” he said.
Chief Inspector Jomar Yupio, Atimonan police chief, said most of the casualties were aboard Superlines bus, one of the vehicles that were involved in the accident.
Some of the fatalities were aboard the ten-wheeler truck, police said.
He said the ill-fated passenger bus was carrying 49 passengers.
The police official said they have yet to complete their investigation on the accident that happened on the Diversion Road in Barangay Sta. Catalina at around 1 a.m.
He said they were still investigating the drivers of the involved vehicles – three passenger buses, four trucks and one trailer truck.
He said one jeepney was also involved but only suffered minor damage.
“Based from the testimonies of the truck drivers, they were bumped by the incoming Superlines bus. But the Superlines bus driver was also saying that before he lost control of his bus, another vehicle bumped him from behind,” Yupio said.
Quoting spot report, Senior Supt. Ronaldo Genaro Ylagan, Quezon police provincial director, the Bicol-bound Superlines bus with body number 441 was traversing the diversion road in Barangay Sta. Catalina when its driver lost control of the vehicle.
The wayward bus subsequently collided with to the incoming two cargo trucks, Isarog passenger bus (TYX-985), DLTB passenger bus (UYA 669), trailer truck (RMK-220) and also hit the rear part of a wing van truck before it finally stop.
The investigators were still in the process of collating all the names of the victims, Ylagan said.
Yupio described the accident site as a dark place with no electric lamp post. “The road was also slippery because of the rains,” he said.
Yupio advised motorists to observe safety driving due to slippery road.
The accident site was temporarily blocked from traffic.
The Quezon police said at total of 44 victims were injured in the road accident.
Passengers of Superlines bus and confined at Doña Marta Memorial Hospital in Gumaca:
1. Jonnel Paunil
2. Gracielle Paunil
3. Realyn Elot
4. Rosalia Laloma
5. Alena Maria Gaño
6. Elena Olit
7. Carl Francis Bacarro
8. Michael Angelo Gaño
9. Nestor Chavez Jr.
10. Charlimagne Ureña
11. Richelyn Albaracin
12. Shane Anne Pestejo
13. Maria Clara Rudino
14. ApolinarioJudavar
15. “Unidentified”
Passengers of Superlines bus and confined at Emil Joahna Hospital also in Atimonan:
16. Rodrigo Florendo
17. Nenita Laude
18. Adelyn Juego
19. Raymond Vejerano
20. Divina Solares
21. Laurence Pagaduan
22. Gina Yaguel
23. Kenjie Yaguel
24. Wilfredo Serrano Jr.
25. Delia Serrano
26. Rossel Marquita
27. Gracia Tarrobago
28. Stephanie Tarrobago
29. Melanie Alto
30. Liza Varona
31. Marites Orit
32. Rosirita Grapita
33. “Unidentified”
Passengers of Isarog bus – Emil Joahna Hospital:
34. Salvador Madrid
Police said the 10 other unidentified wounded victims were brought to a hospital in nearby Gumaca town.
Originally posted: 3:19 am | Saturday, October 19th, 2013
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