A senior citizen was killed while another person was injured after a pickup truck veered onto a sidewalk near the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) compound along Visayas Avenue before dawn on Wednesday, casting a shadow over the government’s subsidized rice distribution program.

Police said the victims were waiting outside the BAI office hours before the scheduled opening of the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) rice selling activity when the vehicle suddenly swerved and hit them.

The injured victim was rushed to a hospital and is undergoing treatment.

The department said the designated waiting and selling area for beneficiaries had already been prepared inside the BAI compound, with tents and chairs set up for the public ahead of the rice distribution.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. expressed condolences to the victim’s family and assured assistance to those affected by the incident.

“We mourn the loss of a senior citizen whose life was tragically taken in this accident,” Tiu Laurel said. “The Department of Agriculture is committed to extending all necessary assistance to the victim’s family and to the injured individual during this difficult time.”

Assistant Secretary Genevieve Velicaria-Guevarra, who heads the Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service and the KADIWA ng Pangulo program, urged beneficiaries not to arrive too early at distribution centers, saying enough rice stocks are available for all qualified recipients.

“We are deeply saddened by what happened,” Guevarra said. “While we understand the eagerness of beneficiaries to secure their rice allocation, we encourage everyone to avoid lining up too early. We want to assure the public that there is sufficient rice supply available for those in need.”

She also encouraged the public to use the online scheduling system under the P20 rice initiative to reduce long queues and crowding at distribution sites.

The DA said it is coordinating with police authorities as the investigation into the accident continues.