Tanay police reported that eight passengers of a jeepney were killed in Barangay Sta. Ines in Tanay, Rizal due to a flash flood on Saturday night.
The fatalities were seven senior citizens and a five-year-old child, police reported.
Rizal Provincial Police Office (PPO) identified the victims as Teresita Quinto, Maylard Keith Fernandez, Leonida Doroteo, Salvacion Delgado, Carmen dela Cruz, Esmena Doroteo, Avelino Buera and Teodora Buera.
Police said they are still looking for the driver of the jeepney, Jun Pio Domayik Jr., who was not seen at the scene of the accident. One person, identified as the wife of the jeepney driver, was also injured and was being treated in a hospital.
Tanay, Rizal Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (MDRRMO) chief Norberto Francisco Matienzo Jr. said the jeep came from the town proper and was carrying 25 passengers when the accident happened at around 8:15 p.m, GMA News reported.
The jeep was reportedly crossing one of the 15 rivers in Tanay when it got stuck and was thereafter swept by a river flash flood.
“According to one of our witnesses…their jeep got bogged down in the last river they were crossing near their barangay. The problem is they got stuck so they asked to be pulled by another jeep. However, there was a sudden flash flood, so the jeep tumbled over which became the reason for the passengers being swept away or getting injuries,” Matienzo, quoted by GMA News, said.
He also said all victims were accounted for.