DAVAO CITY—Three firemen were killed and four others were injured when their fire engine fell into a deep canal in Tarragona town, Davao Oriental.
Fire Chief Insp. Nestor Jimenez, regional Bureau of Fire officer here, identified the fatalities as Fire Officer 3 Luduvico Ponce, FO1 Arnel Jan Ansinco and Nikko James Curambao, a volunteer fireman.
The injured firemen were identified as Senior Insp. Arthur Joseph Arquiza, chief of the Mati City Fire Station; Senior Fire Officer 2 Jessie Guarte, Manay town fire marshall; FO3 Reynaldo Barrera, the fire engine driver; and FO2 Primo Jabilles.
Jimenez said fire engines from Mati City, the provincial capital, and the next town of Tarragona, were sent to the town of Manay to respond to a fire call, when the truck wheels veered away from the road and fell into a canal.
The accident happened in Sitio Tapul, Barangay Tomoaong in Tarragona.
The injured were taken to the Mati Provincial Hospital and to the Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City.
Jimenez said the accident was still being investigated.