SUV Plunges Into Philippine Irrigation Ditch, Kills 13

Manila, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Apr, 2021 ) :Thirteen people, including children, were killed in the northern Philippines when the SUV they were travelling in plunged into an irrigation canal, drowning most of the occupants, police said Monday.

National police chief General Debold Sinas ordered an investigation into the accident in Kalinga province and instructed highway patrol and local police units to strictly enforce rules "against overloading".

The Ford Everest sports utility vehicle was packed with 15 people when it "slipped and fell into the irrigation canal and submerged" in Tabuk City at around 6:15 pm on Sunday, according to a police statement issued Monday.

The victims, including seven children, drowned inside the SUV, it said.

The two surviving passengers were in a stable condition.

Deadly traffic accidents are common in the Philippines where drivers frequently flout rules and roads are often in poor condition.