Student Dies In A Landslide Accident Along Kennon Road In Tuba, Benguet

One person died while other passengers were injured when the van they were riding got pinned by a landslide along Kennon Road in Camp 1, Tuba, Benguet on Thursday afternoon. The UV Express van came from Baguio City and was on its way to the city of Dagupan in Pangasinan.

The van was traversing a portion of Kennon Road when a huge mass of soil and rock boulders came tumbling down from the mountain slope above the road. The driver tried to stop the car to avoid the landslide but it was too late. The front portion of the van got pinned by the falling debris.

The fatality was identified as Izeiah Karl Jior Medalle, a college student studying Mechatronics Engineering at Saint Louis University in Baguio City. Some of the passengers who suffered injuries were brought to nearby hospitals for medical treatment and examination. The driver of the van who hails from La Trinidad, Benguet suffered a few minor injuries.

Due to the incident, Kennon Road was closed leading to the build-up of vehicular traffic on both ends of the accident location. The road is still currently closed but clearing operations are ongoing. It's possible that the landslide was triggered by the heavy rainfall that occurred around noon, just a few hours before the accident.

Motorists going out or coming to Baguio City are being advised to take alternative routes like Marcos Highway and to watch out for falling rocks when traversing Kennon Road.

Photo by Rafael Paeng Valencia of 911 On Call: Baguio