Three individuals were confirmed dead after an Elf truck fell into the Chico River following a three-vehicle collision at 6 a.m. in Sitio Gawa, Barangay Rocucan, Bontoc, Mountain Province, according to the Bontoc Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO).
The MDRRMO operations center reported that the Elf truck collided with a Fiera and a mini-dump truck while navigating a curved, mountainous road in the Gawa area.
The impact caused the Elf truck to veer off the road and plunge into a ravine approximately 100 meters deep, eventually landing in the Chico River.
Responders recovered the bodies of three victims from the wreckage of the fallen truck.
Dr. Diga Kay Gomez, Bontoc health officer, confirmed that the fatalities were due to severe head and body injuries.
The victims were identified as workers of Balintugan Construction, en route to their project site in Kuro-Kuro, Sadanga at the time of the accident.
Drivers and helpers from the other two vehicles involved sustained only minor injuries.
Rescue teams continue to search for two more individuals who remain missing following the incident.
Police have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the Elf truck Chico River crash.