MANILA, Philippines—Two men were crushed to death by oncoming trains in separate railroad accidents in Manila.
Ricardo Balanque, 47, had lost both his legs when found by residents after being hit by a Philippine National Railways train going to Tutuban station around 6:30 p.m. Sunday.
Witnesses told police that they earlier saw Balanque, a Pandacan resident, walking right in the middle of the tracks, ignoring the blaring horns of the approaching train.
About 15 hours later, another train accident killed 21-year-old Jordan de Jesus near G. Tuazon Street in Sampaloc.
The second fatality was an employee of the Department of Energy, his identity confirmed by relatives based on the clothes he was wearing.
Vendors in the locality said they saw De Jesus around 8:20 a.m. Monday crossing an area of the railroad tracks where pedestrians are not allowed and ended up being crushed and dragged by two trains coming from opposite directions.
Last month, a househelp who had just bought rice at a store near the PNR’s Sta. Mesa station also died after being hit by a train.—Maricar B. Brizuela
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