By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Four people were confirmed dead after a head-on collision between two wing van trucks along the national highway of Barangay Sagua Banwa in Negros Occidental’s Valladolid town early Tuesday morning.

Police identified the fatalities as brothers Wendell Larios and Carlo Larios, both residents of Barangay Pandanon, Mabinay, Negros Oriental.

Also killed in the crash was Diany Garcia of Barangay E. Lopez, Silay City. The fourth fatality was yet to be identified, although it was confirmed that the unidentified male was an employee of a supermarket located in Libertad Market, Bacolod City.

Valladolid town police chief, Police Captain Wilfredo Benoman, Jr., said one of the trucks was traveling north when it suddenly occupied the lane of the second truck which was heading south.

The collision was also noted to have happened just a few meters away from the Valladolid District Hospital. The collision also caused the two vehicles to burst into flames.

Witnesses claimed that following the accident, they heard the occupants of the two trucks shouting for help, but the flames prevented several bystanders from attempting to rescue the trapped occupants.

Firefighters eventually arrived to put out the fire, but it was already too late for the four occupants who were declared dead-on-the-spot.

A follow-up investigation also revealed that the trucks quickly caught fire as one of the vehicle’s fuel lines may have ruptured in the collision./DGB, WDJ