By Glazyl M. Jopson
BACOLOD CITY – Eight government employees of Bayawan City, Negros Oriental, and an OJT student were killed after a dump truck they were riding overshot and fell off a cliff, landing into a river in Barangay Kalamtukan on Wednesday.
Police Capt. Stephen Polinar, spokesperson for the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office (NORPPO), said there were no survivors.
The victims had just delivered five containers of crude oil for heavy equipment in Barangay Mandu-ao when the accident occurred at around 11:10 a.m. in a remote area.
According to residents, the cliff is approximately 50 meters deep.
Polinar said the cause of the accident remains under investigation. Part of the investigation was to determine how or why the student joined the workers.
All victims were declared dead at the hospital, and the dump truck was completely wrecked.
The Bayawan City government issued a statement mourning the loss of its personnel.
“Our hallways are quiet, and our hearts are broken for our colleagues from the City Agriculture Office–Engineering Division and the OJT student who was alongside them,” the statement read.
City officials offered prayers and expressed gratitude for the workers’ dedication to serving the land and community.
“We pray for their families, our local government, and the entire community as we navigate this season of grief,” the city said.
“Help us to honor the memory of the departed by continuing their mission of service with even greater compassion and resolve. May their legacy of hard work and youthful ambition inspire us to cherish every moment and to serve one another with renewed love.”
