The 10-wheeler truck fell off a ravine and landed near a house in Barangay Libjo in Tabogon town in northern Cebu at past 12 a.m. today July 30. | Jay Muñoz Bragat via Futch Anthony Inso
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Two men were killed after a 10-wheeler cargo truck fell off a 10-meter ravine in Barangay Libjo, Tabogon town in northern Cebu at past 12 a.m. on July 30.
The truck also landed in a portion of a house below the ravine damaging it and a motorcycle parked near the house.
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Truck driver, helper dead
Police Captain Jose Buscato Jr., Tabogon Police Station chief, identified the dead victims as Casimero Arriesgado, driver of the truck, and Ronald Pasuquin, the truck driver’s helper.
Arriesgado was from Barangay Patao, Bantayan town in northern Cebu while Pasuquin was from Barangay Talisay in Santa Fe town in northern Cebu.
Buscato said that both men, who were pinned inside the truck after the fall, were taken out from the truck more or less 12 hours later.
This was confirmed by Police Senior Staff Sergeant Dan Bernard Navarro, who called the police station at past noon today, July 30, to inform them of the death of the two men.
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A 10-wheeler truck falls off a ravine in Barangay Libjo in Tabogon town, killing the driver and his helper. | Jay Muñoz Bragat via Futch Anthony Inso
Dead men removed 12 hours later
Navarro said the bodies of the two men were finally retrieved or taken out of the truck from where they were pinned at past noon today.
The bodies were retrieved from the truck by rescuers from Danao City, Bogo City, and Tabogon City,” said Police Corporal Michael Anciano, desk officer of Tabogon Police, citing Navarro’s report to the station.
“Karon pa (between 12 p.m. to 1 p.m) na [tabang] kay di man nila ma waling ang sakyanan kay dako man kaayo. Unya pero nakita nila [rescuers] nga naay tiil sa sud, naay napiit,” said Anciano.
(The bodies were removed from the overturned truck (betwee 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.) only because the truck was a big one and they could move it. And the rescuers saw a pair of legs sticking out from under the truck.)
“Dugay man gud na [nakuha] kay rematsi mana ang [truck] nabugsok mana padung ubos nya napiit gyud sila didto sa front seat,” Anciano said.
(It took time because the driver lost control of the truck and fell on the ravine with the front of the truck falling, hitting the ground first, causing those at the front seat to be pinned.)
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Two men died after the truck they were in fell off a ravine in Barangay Libjo in Tabogon town in northern Cebu. | Jay Muñoz Bragat via Futch Anthony Inso
How it happened
According to initial investigation, the accident was reported by Libjo Barangay Captain Nathaniel Cortes to the police station at 12:50 a.m. today, July 30.
Cortes said that the truck fell from the 10-meter ravine landing on its back at the side of the house owned by Editha Nactor.
No one was hurt inside the house except for the damage of a portion of the house near where the truck landed.
The truck was reportedly carrying assorted dry goods, and came from Barangay Ilihan in Tabogon town, heading towards Bogo City, Cebu.
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Truck going downhill
According to Police Corporal Anciano, that the truck since it was heading to Bogo was going downhill.
Police Corporal Anciano also described the area of the accident was dark.
“Akong nabantayan diha kay makaagi man ko diha pirmi kanang mangadlawn ko, ngi-ob na diha. Unya pag bound to Cebu City ka, sakaon na ug padung ka Bogo, modulhog ka ana,” Anciano said.
(I noticed at that area, since I often passed there in the early morning, that area was really dark. And if you are bound for Cebu City, you have to negotiate the road going uphill, while if you are heading for Bogo, then you are going downhill.)
“Liko-liko na diha nya kuan lage, dulhogon, kinahanglan magmatngon,” he said.
(That area there has curved roads and going downhill, so one should be careful in passing that area.)
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Cause of accident still under investigation
As for the cause of the accident, Anciano said that it was still under investigation and he could not give a definite answer, especially since there would be no witness to the accident now, since both the driver of the truck and his helper died in the fall.
When asked if the possibility might be the loss of control of the truck driver, Anciano said it was still hard to confirm.
“Wala naman gyuy makasulti ana. Mayntag naa pay buhi ana (witness). Puro man patay. Siguro nawad-an og break or nakatulog ang driver, mao ra gyud na. Duha ra gyuy posibilidad ana,” he said.
(Nobody can say that that was what happened. It would have been better if one of them or both of them were alive. But they are both dead. Perhaps, the truck lost its brakes or the driver could have fallen asleep while driving. I think those are the most likely possibilities. Those two possibilities.)
He said that investigators, however, were still trying to find out what really caused the accident.
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Accident area secluded
He also said that that area was a secluded area so there was no witnesses at that time.
“Mingaw man gyud na diha lugara nya alas dose pagyud sa gabii. Siguro kung naay nagsunod nga sakyanan, maoy nakasaksi ato ug kanang bystander pero wa ma man gyud na diha lugara gud,” he said.
(That area is really secluded and at that time past 12 a.m. Perhaps, if there was somebody following them, who could have witnessed or if there was a bystander but at that area that was mostly unlikely.)
Tabogon is a third class municipality in the Province of Cebu, which is some 87 kilometers north of Cebu City.