Courtesy: BFP Atimonan Quezon
A TANKER truck explosion along the Maharlika Highway in Atimonan, Quezon, on Monday morning resulted in one fatality and injuries to five others.
The incident occurred past 6:30 a.m. in Barangay Malinaw when the tanker truck reportedly lost its brakes while descending a slope. According to Atimonan Police, the truck collided with a trailer truck that was already present at the scene due to a previous incident.
The impact caused the tanker to tip over and slide across the highway, hitting two tricycles. The resulting friction ignited a fire, which quickly engulfed the tanker and the tricycles.
The truck driver died in the explosion. Three students and two tricycle drivers sustained third-degree burns and were transported to a hospital in Atimonan. Due to the severity of their burns, the three students were later transferred to the East Medical Center in Quezon City.
The fire also spread to a nearby house, a sari-sari store, cable wires, trees, and a motorcycle. The explosion caused panic among residents in the area.
A section of the Maharlika Highway was temporarily closed while firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze.
Antimonan police noted that this was the third incident involving a vehicle losing its brakes in the past three months on that particular stretch of road. They urged motorists to exercise caution and reduce speed when traveling through the area to prevent further accidents.
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