1 dead, 22 hurt as jeep falls into canal in Iloilo town

ILOILO CITY – One person died while 22 others were injured after a privately owned jeep, which they were riding in fell into a canal in a hilly barangay (village) of Leon town in Iloilo province on Thursday afternoon.

Police Insp. Reuel Pablico, Chief of Police of the Leon Municipal Police Station, said the body of a still unidentified man who was in his 40s and the 22 injured victims were at the Aleosan District Hospital in Alimodian Town, as of this posting,Thursday night.

Pablico said the victims came from a family trip at the Bucari Park in Barangay Bacolod, Bucari in Leon town and were on their way home to Pavia town when the accident happened about 2:20 p.m.

Leon town is located 28 kilometers from Iloilo City while Pavia town is 10 kilometers north from the city.

Bucari Park is known as Iloilo Province’s “Little Baguio” because of its very cold temperature and highland attractions.

Pablico said the jeep which the victims boarded was traversing a downhill road in Barangay Mali-ao, about eight kilometers away from the Bucari Park, when the driver lost control of the vehicle, causing it to fall into a deep canal.  SFM