Three girls were killed and three other minors were in critical condition after a Philippine National Railways (PNR) train ran over them early Saturday in Manila.
A Manila Police District (MPD) official said investigators were verifying reports that the victims were drunk and had fallen asleep on the tracks.
The fatalities were identified as Andrea Regino, 13, of Recto High School, and Sandy Guillen, 12, of Corazon Elementary School. The third victim remained unidentified at press time.
Injured were Anthony de Mesa, 12, a Grade 4 student at Mariano Ponce Elementary School, and out-of-school youths Jennyrace Eugenio, 13, and Joshua Nepomuceno, 12.
Senior Insp. Arnold Sandoval, chief of the MPD traffic investigation unit, said the initial investigation showed that the minors were lying on the tracks, “asleep” after a drinking binge, when ran over by a southbound train.
The incident happened near Antipolo Street in Sta. Cruz at 5:15 a.m.
Train kept going
The PNR train was operated by Joel Bolo, who was accompanied by mechanic Berjerio Suarez. Bolo did not stop after hitting the victims and has yet to surface at the MPD traffic unit office at Port Area as of Saturday afternoon, Sandoval said.
Regino and the still-unidentified girl died on the spot, while Guillen died at Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center due to severe head injuries.
Sandoval said the victims’ families may press charges against the PNR employee, but he also cited a letter of instruction invoking the PNR’s “right of way” and exempting a train driver figuring in such a situation from criminal and civil liabilities.
On the contrary, the Department of Social Welfare and Development may hold the victims’ parents liable for negligence, the officer said.