5 dead in camping trips hounded by accidents

A girl was killed and four other high school students were injured in Macalelo, Quezon, on Thursday after they plunged into a shallow river 15 feet below when the hanging bridge they were crossing collapsed.

Insp. Heinrich Alafriz, of the Macalelo police, identified the fatality as Abigail Palo, 15, a senior student of Macalelo Public High School (MPHS).

Palo and four other injured students were brought to a hospital in Gumaca town, but Palo was declared dead on arrival, said Alafriz.

The four injured students were identified as Carmedel Formaran, 13; Paulo Aviles, 13; Kinley Dean, 14; and Lealyn Bagayan, 13. They have been declared out of danger although still in the hospital.

Palo and other students were in the school’s annual Girls and Boy Scouts camping in the village of Masipag when, at around 10:45 a.m., a group of more than 50 students crossed the steel cable bridge to go to the nearby village.

“The old bridge gave way due to the weight of the students. Witnesses said the students were pushing each other while crossing,” Alafriz said over the phone.

He said the 100-meter hanging bridge, which had a wooden walkway, was more than 15 years old.

Boy Scouts

In Siay, Zamboanga Sibugay, a dump truck carrying boy scouts to a regional jamboree collided with a bus, killing three Boy Scouts and a school security official.

The fatalities were identified as Arnel Yuayan, 38, who was escorting the students; Regie Frego, 15; Mark John Agot, 14; and Rolando Sedano, 17; all high school students in Olutanga town who were to take part in the jamboree.

They said at least nine other people, mostly Boy Scouts, were injured.

According to Insp. Jose Andy dela Cruz, one of two dump trucks filled with Boy Scouts tried to overtake the other then rammed onto an incoming bus. The impact hurled the children off the truck.

He said the accident traumatized many of the children, who were looking forward to a weekend of camping. Delfin Mallari Jr., Inquirer Southern Luzon, reporting from Lucena City and Julie Alipala, Inquirer Mindanao, reporting from Zamboanga City