Manila: A suspected tyre blowout killed at least five people on their way to the airport in the Philippines on Saturday, March 23.
Police have yet to identify the victims, local media reported.
The ill-fated van rolled over after it crashed into an Elf truck when one of its tyres burst while cruising at highspeed on the Candaba viaduct in Pampanga province at around 12:18 pm.
The van, carrying was mostly overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) about to catch their flights to the Middle East, flipped over on north-bound viaduct of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX).
Ten others were seriously injured. Cesar Carlos, municipal disaster risk reduction and management chief, said the injured were taken to various hospitals nearby.
In a report, Apalit Police Lt. Col. Elmer Decena said eight of the 15 people inside the van were thrown out of the vehicle and plunged into a residential area in Barangay Tabuyuc in Apalit town.
Thirteen of the passengers were Middle East-bound overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were supposed to fly out of the Clark International Airport.
Initial investigation showed that most of the passengers were asleep at the time of the incident.
The driver, identified as John Leo Laylo, 28, was arrested.
