Tragic Road Crash in Philippines Kills 12, Including 6 Children; 27 Others Injured in Multi-Vehicle Pile-Up

Manila: A deadly road accident occurred around 12:30 PM on Wednesday at the Tarlac SCTEX Exit Toll Plaza in Tarlac City, where five vehicles — including three SUVs, a container truck, and a passenger bus — collided in a tragic chain reaction, according to the Police Regional Office 3 (PRO Central Luzon).

Brigadier General Jean Fajardo, the Central Luzon police chief, confirmed the casualty count, saying, “Twelve people died in the crash, including six children. Another 27 individuals were injured and taken to nearby hospitals.”

The incident occurred when a passenger bus rammed into an SUV that was at a complete halt in Lane 2 (northbound) of the SCTEX toll plaza. The impact was so severe that it caused a ripple effect, pushing the SUV forward and causing it to crash into several other vehicles in front of it.

The crash involved three SUVs, one container truck, and one passenger bus.

Photos and videos from the scene showed crumpled vehicles and scattered debris at the toll plaza, with rescue workers rushing to extract victims trapped in the mangled cars. The identities of the victims have not yet been released, pending notification of families.

The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) and emergency responders were deployed immediately, providing medical aid and helping transport the injured to hospitals in Tarlac City and nearby areas.

Authorities launched a full investigation into the circumstances of the crash. PRO 3 said in a statement, “Investigation is still going on.”

Police are now examining CCTV footage from the toll plaza and speaking to eyewitnesses to determine whether there was negligence or mechanical failure involved in the incident.