Rescuers recover men trapped in van that fell off Iloilo bridge

Rescuers recover a winged van that fell off a bridge in Iloilo City. INQUIRER VISAYAS

ILOILO CITY – For seven hours, two men were trapped in a winged van which fell off the bridge in Barangay Balabago in Jaro district in Iloilo City on Friday dawn.

Driver Joel Maningos, 29, and his helper Jenery Nulla, 19, were already unconscious when rescuers pulled them from the truck about 10:20 a.m.

FSI Christopher Rejesa of the Bureau of Fire Protection said the two were brought to the West Visayas State University Medical Center in La Paz in Iloilo City.

Initial police investigation showed that the truck with plate number GXS-847 was registered to Francisco Marabaso of Lilo-an town in northern Cebu.

Maningos and Nulla were delivering canned goods to Iloilo City through the Iloilo-Dumagas port.

While traversing the coastal road of Barangay Balabago in Jaro district, located about 3.9 km from Iloilo City proper, their winged van fell off the bridge about 3 a.m. on Friday.

FO2 Christian James Lemera of the city’s Bureau of Fire Rescue Team said the truck’s front portion was submerged on mud.

They had to use cranes to pull the truck from the shallow creek, he said. CDG

READ: One dies, two injured in road mishap off Marcelo Fernan Bridge