6 DROWN, INCLUDING 3 CHILDREN, AFTER TRICYCLE FALLS INTO IRRIGATION CANAL IN NUEVA ECIJA

BY KEVIN GALANG

SIX people, including three children, on Thursday drowned when an overloaded tricycle fell into an open irrigation canal in Sto. Domingo, Nueva Ecija.

In a report to Police Regional Officde 3 director Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo, the Nueva Ecija police identified the fatalities as Angelica Cinense, the 34-year-old driver of the ill-fated tricycle and her passengers Rengie Cinense, 8, Queen Joy Arciaga, 7, and Rhian Cinense, 6, all of Sitio Buted, Bgy. Malayantoc,  Sto, Domingo town.

Four other children were rescued.

Rescued alive were Queenie Arciaga, 10; King Jay Arciaga, 10, Jazzy Cinense, 9, and Jeannie Arciaga, 7; all of Sitio Buted in Bgy. Malayantoc.

Initial probe showed that the victims were traveling on an overloaded trike driven by Angelica on their way home from school when upon reaching Sitio Dela Rosa in Bgy. Baloc in Sto. Domingo, the tricycle’s sidecar suddenly detached around 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.

The female driver lost control of the trike until they all fell into the 16-feet deep irrigation canal.

Residents in the area tried to rescue the victims but only recovered alive four children.

Two men who tried to rescue the victims also drowned.  They were identified as Fernando Maducduc, 59, and Joel Trinidad, 49, both of Bgy. Baloc in Santo Domingo.