INQUIRER SOUTHERN LUZON
LUCENA CITY – A gasoline tanker truck accidentally exploded while traveling along the national highway in Padre Burgos town in Quezon province, burning a newly constructed yet empty residential house on the roadside early morning Saturday.
Senior Insp. Reynaldo Belarmino, Padre Burgos police chief, said in a phone interview that the vehicle was parked on the side of the descending road when it accidentally rolled down around 4:40 a.m. The truck crashed the roadside steel barrier and slammed into a big narra tree before turning turtle and exploding.
Truck driver Rico Lara Reyes sustained second degree burns on his body, police said.
“According to several witnesses, the driver was fixing some trouble on his vehicle. Apparently, when it rolled down, the driver was not able to apply the air brake because the engine was turned off,” Belarmino said.
Arnulfo Aguilar Pasion, Padre Burgos disaster risk reduction and management officer, said the owners of the house were all in Lucena City. He said the burning gasoline cascaded down to the shallow cliff below.
Firetrucks from Pagbilao and Unisan towns responded to the incident. It was declared fire out at around 6:30 a.m. police said. CDG
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