Fifteen persons died and two sustained serious injuries when the truck they were riding on fell off a cliff at Sitio Tubod, Barangay Bulwang, Mabinay, Negros Oriental, at about 1:46 p.m. Wednesday, February 21, the police said.
The livestock buyers on board an Isuzu Fighter truck were travelling from La Libertad town to Barangay Dawis, Bayawan City, when the accident occurred, Lt. Stephen Jaynard Polinar, Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office spokesman, said.
The driver, who sustained multiple injuries, loss control of the vehicle when its brakes failed on reaching a downhill curve in Sitio Tubod causing it to fall off the cliff, a Mabinay police report said.
The vehicle fell about 40 to 50 meters down, it said.
The police identified the dead as Ireneo Magos, 37, Fe Decipolo, Rolindo Decipolo Sr., 63, Jemboy Egoogan, Rolindo Decipolo Jr., 29 , Marlon Solidad, 46, Rex Decipolo, 33, Rene Magosy Acabo, 46, Allan Flores, 36, Allen Pocong, 44, Remond Llenes, 29, Roy Magos, 29, Leo Soreño, 43, Jacob Labrador, 28, and Almar Egoogan all of La Libertad town.
Injured were the driver Antonio Boganotan Toreno and Jovanni Flores of La Libertad, the police added.
The truck was owned by Rolindo Decipolo Sr. who died in the accident.*