Philippines: Ten killed, 37 injured in multi-vehicle collision

At least ten people, including four children, lost their lives, and more than 37 others sustained injuries in a catastrophic multi-vehicle accident on the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway in the Philippines on May 1.

According to Police Lt. Col. Romel Santos, head of the Tarlac Provincial Police Office, a bus crashed into a van already waiting in the toll booth queue, setting off a chain reaction, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

The van then collided with a compact SUV, which in turn crashed into a tractor head in front of it. The tractor head subsequently struck another SUV in the line.

The fatalities included four children, and Santos confirmed that initial reports of 12 dead, including six children, were incorrect. The dead comprised eight from the van and two from the compact SUV, with the remaining fatalities from the bus.

Santos stated that the bus driver had been detained and claimed he had fallen asleep at the wheel. Marvin Guiang, head of the Tarlac Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, added that a couple perished in the incident, although their baby survived.

“The impact was so intense that the victims in the two vehicles that were sandwiched together were completely crushed,” Guiang said.

The crash occurred after the Solid North Transit Inc. bus collided with the van, which then triggered a series of crashes involving multiple vehicles. The accident prompted an immediate response from authorities, with Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon ordering the suspension of Solid North Bus operations pending investigation. The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) is expected to enforce the suspension shortly.

The full details of the investigation are still unfolding.

By Aghakazim Guliyev