4 dead, 24 others hurt in Negros Occ. road accident

Four people were killed while 24 others were injured when a passenger jeepney rammed a tree in Talisay City in Negros Occidental Wednesday morning, a local police officer said. SPO1 Loreto Santillan of the Talisay City Police Station said the accident might have occurred around 9 a.m. when the vehicle lost its brakes and then slammed a tree along a national highway in Barangay Matab-ang. Santillan identified the fatalities as John Galinero, Myrna Octavio, Leopoldo Parcon and Rogelia Antiporda. "The 24 who were hurt, including the driver, were rushed to a nearby hospital. One of them was in critical condition," Santillan said. He said Octavio and Galinero both died on the spot due to serious injuries, while the two other victims died in the hospital. The ill-fated vehicle was heading toward Bacolod City from Escalante City when the accident occurred, Santillan said, adding the driver might be facing criminal charges due to the incident. — LBG, GMANews.TV