KABAYAN, Benguet — Five people, including two children, were killed while 22 others were injured after a six-wheeler truck overturned along the Congressman Andres Acop Cosalan National Road in Barangay Guay, Poblacion, on the morning of 28 May 2026.
Rex Alwyn Aquisan confirmed that the fatalities included a 3-year-old boy and an 11-year-old boy.
Authorities said the truck, which was traveling from Mountain Province to Nueva Vizcaya, was carrying 39 passengers when the accident occurred.
The Kabayan Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office received a report about the incident at 10:07 a.m., with emergency responders arriving at the scene eight minutes later.
All casualties were transported to the Kabayan Rural Health Unit by 11:48 a.m.
According to Aquisan, all five fatalities were male and postmortem examinations and death certificate preparations were underway.
Among the survivors, 10 passengers sustained multiple head injuries and fractures and were transferred to the Dennis Molintas District Hospital for further treatment.
Another 12 passengers, including the truck driver, suffered minor injuries and were treated at the Kabayan Rural Health Unit, while the remaining 12 passengers were unharmed and temporarily sheltered at the health unit and the Poblacion Barangay Hall.
Emergency response operations involved personnel from the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, local disaster and health offices, and nearby local government units from Bokod and Buguias.
The mayor urged motorists to ensure the mechanical soundness of their vehicles and observe safe driving practices to prevent similar incidents.