KIDAPAWAN CITY ( MindaNews / 05 November) — A helper of a water tanker bound for the evacuation sites in Makilala and this city to distribute free potable water died while the driver sustained severe injuries when the truck lost brakes while maneuvering an elevated portion of the Kidapawan-Makilala highway at around 6 a.m., Tuesday.
The Makilala municipal police station identified the slain worker as Nonoy, a resident of Cateel in Compostela Valley, and the driver as Jimmy Gaspar Caber, 50, from Davao Oriental.
A water tanker bound for the evacuation camps of earthquake survivors in Malasila, Makilala and Kidapawan City, lost its brakes and crashed in Makilala, North Cotabato. early morning of November 5, 2019. MindaNews photo by GREGORIO BUENO
The water tanker is owned by the Dumoy Fresh Water in Davao City.
James Mark Escala, driver of another water tanker in convoy with Caber, told reporters that Caber avoided a truck of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) along the road but lost its brakes due to a heavy load.
“Nag-convoy mi. Tulo mi tanan. Nagbahada siya, init na siguro ang brakes. Mao nang haybol na siya sa taas [We were a convoy. We’re all three [tankers]. When he was speeding upwards, the brakes could have overheated and slammed on the concrete wall.
Caber was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Despite what happened, Escala said they proceeded to Barangay Malasila in Makilala, and this city to distribute free potable water to quake victims.
Escala distributed water to hundreds of families in Barangays Poblacion and Singao, here, while the other tanker proceeded to an evacuation site in Barangay Malasila.
Another view of the water tanker that crashed in Makilala, North Cotabato, early morning of November 5, 2019. MindaNews photo by GREGORIO BUENO
Since October 31, residents here and nearby towns in Makilala and Matalam, all service areas of the Metro Kidapawan Water District (MKWD) have been buying bottled or gallons of water for drinking. For washing dising dishes and clothes, they go to rivers and creeks.
Engineer Sandy Alqueza, MKWD assistant general manager, said at least seven kilometers of their pipelines were destroyed after Thursday’s Magnitude 6.5 quake.
Before Thursday, a Magnitude 6.3 quake struck on October 16, followed by Magnitude 6.6 and 6.1 on October 29.
In media interviews, Alqueza said rehabilitation and construction of new pipelines will take six months to a year.
“This is really a challenge to us in MKWD. We need millions of pesos to realize the project,” he explained. (Malu Cadelina-Manar / MindaNews)
