Photo by Clark Matthew Roma
(Updated, 1 p.m.) CEBU CITY, Philippines—Nine children, between the ages of 10 and 12, died in Boljoon, southern Cebu, on Friday morning, July 19, 2019, after a mini dump truck fell off a roadside cliff on the way to the town center to attend an event organized by the Department of Education (DepEd).
Boljoon Public Information Officer, Ruben Nieri, confirmed the incident.
He added that least 20 more individuals were brought to the hospital for treatment.
The children from the mountain barangays of Boljoon were taken to the town center to attend a DepEd parade and other activities for the Nutrition Month Cultural and District Meet.
The mini dump truck fell off a cliff around 7 a.m. and the rescue mission ran until 9 a.m.
Nieri said the rescue operation was difficult as the provincial government has recently recalled the town’s ambulance.
The town used other trucks to bring the victims to the hospital. / celr