Out-of-control truck rams roadside diners in Philippines; fire from gas cargo blast kills 9

Philippines: Gas truck crashes, blasts kill 9

MANILA, Philippines — Police say nine people including two children have died after an out-of-control truck carrying gas tanks rammed into a row of roadside diners and its cargo exploded in the Philippines.

Chief Inspector Armandi Dimapuyo says the driver tried to overtake a van along a highway in Cavite province’s Carmona township, just south of the capital Manila. He says the driver lost control of the vehicle, which smashed into an electric post and the food stalls.

The truck flipped on its side and leaking gas tanks scattered along the road exploded, razing the eateries before dawn Wednesday. Two children aged 2 and 12 were among the dead.

Poorly maintained vehicles and roads, reckless driving and weak traffic law enforcement are blamed for many deadly accidents in the Philippines.