Eight passengers, including a five-year-old girl, died in Rizal province of the Philippines after a flash flood swept a passenger jeepney, police said.
Patrolman Jason Benitez of the Tanay town police told Xinhua yesterday that the accident happened before 9pm local time on Saturday, while the jeepney carrying 25 passengers was crossing a river travelling north to a village from the town.
Norberto Francisco Matienzo, chief of the Tanay Municipal Disaster Reduction Management Office, said the jeepney got stuck in the middle of the river when it was swept away by a flash flood.
He added that seven others who died from the accident were over 60 years old while another one was injured.
The elongated, flatbed passenger jeepneys are the most popular mode of public transport in the country.
These iconic vehicles have been plying on the streets of the Philippines since World War II.
However, many accidents in the South-East Asian country are blamed on these poorly maintained vehicles made up of second-hand car parts.
Meanwhile, local government units have begun preparing for possible flooding and landslides due to Tropical Depression “Rosal”.
A total of 11 emergency alerts have since been issued to warn people. — Agencies
