18 killed, scores hurt in Holy Week incidents

AT LEAST 18 were killed and scores injured in several incidents during the country’s Lenten observance last week, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

NDRRMC recorded 24 incidents in Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Southern Luzon, Central Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Davao and the Cordillera Administrative Region.

It said 12 of these incidents were vehicular mishaps, and 10 were drowning incidents.

Romina Marasigan, NDRRMC spokesperson, said this year’s casualties were higher than last year, with more incidents occurring during the Holy Week than regular weeks.

Marasigan said they have downgraded their alert level from blue alert to white alert, the normal alert level, as of Monday morning.

She noted that the country’s observance of Lent was generally peaceful and that many government agencies worked round the clock to ensure order during the Holy Week.

In the NDRRMC update, 18 people were killed, including two minors, while 64 were injured in the incidents monitored since last week.

The latest fatalities were five males who died in separate vehicular accidents in Marinduque and Davao Oriental, and a drowning incident in Cebu.