This archive report was first published on 1 November 2019.
On November 1, 2019, a tragic truck crash occurred in the mountainous northern Philippines, claiming the lives of 19 farmers.
The victims were on their way home from collecting government-subsidized rice seeds in the town of Conner when the driver lost control of the vehicle, which plunged backwards down a deep ravine.
According to local police official Manuel Canipas, the truck fell on its rear first, crushing the passengers. He added that another 20 people on the truck were injured but will survive.
Canipas suggested that the weight of the seeds may have made the crash worse, potentially crushing some of the victims.
Deadly road accidents are common in the Philippines, where inadequately maintained buses and poorly trained drivers form the backbone of land transport options.
Just a few months prior, in September, 20 people, including children, were killed in the southern Philippine town of T'boli when a truck carrying a group home from a party at the beach crashed.
