BALANGA CITY – Seventeen workers of a Korean firm in Bataan on the way to work were injured when the service vehicle they were riding crashed at a narra tree along the Roman Superhighway here before 6 a.m. Saturday.
Seats of the mini-bus snapped out and threw passengers towards the door and front portion of the vehicle. “Of the 17, five are considered in serious condition. Mostly, may mga sugat sa body parts, ang ilan may fractures,” said Danica Hipolito of the Balanga City Rescue Team.
She said that they received a call about the accident at 6 a.m. and immediately responded. Hipolito said they attended first to those in the front seats. “May mga nakaipit sa upuan,” the rescue worker said. The victims are workers of Acre-Red, a Korean firm doing piping works at the multi-million- peso expansion project of Petron Bataan Refi nery in Limay, Bataan.
The workers were on the way from Balanga to report for duty at 7 a.m. The victims were rushed to the Bataan General Hospital in Balanga. “May pumasok na tricycle, nakarinig na lamang ako ng sigawan,” said a worker complaining of aching feet.
“Tulog ako nakaupo sa hulihan. Nang magising ako nasa may pintuan na ako ng sasakyan,” said Herman Manuel, 19, also with aching feet and body. “Biglang tumawid ang tricycle na galing ng palengke, iniwasan ng driver kaya bumangga sa puno,” 36-yearold Hadji Manuel on a wheelchair said.
Service vehicle driver Ronald Alvarado, 48, of Orion, Bataan was among those seriously injured. “Iniwasan ko ang tricycle,” he said. Saturnino, another worker, has injuries on the forehead and face.
