A truck plummeted into a ravine in Mabinay, a town in the Negros Oriental province of the central Philippines, on Wednesday, February 21, 2024, killing 15 villagers on board and injuring two. The truck was carrying these individuals to a livestock market on Negros Island. Reports confirm that the driver and a single passenger survived the accident.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant Stephen Polinar stated that preliminary investigations suggest brake failure as a possible cause of the accident. According to the lieutenant, the driver, who sustained serious injuries, informed investigators that he lost control of the vehicle before it veered off the road.
Michael Cabugnason, a Mabinay rescue official, provided further details to local media. He explained that the truck lost control while negotiating a sharp bend. The location near Mabinay, notorious for its mountainous landscape, is a frequent spot for road accidents. It had also been raining for two days and the roads were slippery.
The driver was discovered in the wreckage at the bottom of the ravine, more than 164 feet (approximately 50 meters) beneath the road level, drenched in motor oil. Of the 17 individuals involved in the accident, only the driver and one other passenger survived.
In the Philippines, road accidents are common and often result in fatalities, drawing attention to issues of vehicle maintenance and road safety. An incident in December 2023 saw 17 people lose their lives when a bus fell into a ravine in the Antique province of central Philippines due to brake failure.
Factors contributing to these accidents typically include poorly maintained vehicles and inadequate road safety features and signage, particularly in less urbanized regions. The challenging terrain of Negros Oriental, made worse by recent heavy rains, is also being looked at as a possible factor in this recent accident.
As a response to this tragedy, local authorities are reviewing road safety measures and enforcement procedures in the area in a bid to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
