MANILA, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Nine people were killed after the dump truck they were riding in plunged into a ravine in Negros Oriental province in the central Philippines on Wednesday, police said.
Police identified the victims as male government employees who were traveling to conduct field work for Bayawan City's agriculture office when the crash occurred on Wednesday morning.
Initial investigation showed the dump truck, which was also carrying five drums of crude oil, suffered brake failure while navigating a sharp descent.
Police told local reporters that the driver lost control, causing the vehicle to smash through a concrete safety barrier before tumbling more than 50 meters into a ravine and landing in a river below.
Police said that emergency teams from the local fire department and rescue units rushed to the scene and extricated the victims from the mangled wreckage. The victims were taken to a local hospital, but were all declared dead on arrival by the attending physician. ■
