Kalinga: 1 dead, 17 injured after utility vehicle plunges 30-meter ravine in Lubuagan

TABUK CITY, Kalinga — A passenger died while 17 other people, including six minors, were wounded after a private utility vehicle (PUV) plunged into a 30-meter ravine along the Poway–Ag-agama Upper Uma Access Road in Barangay Dangoy, Lubuagan, on Tuesday afternoon, March 31, 2026, the Lubuagan municipal information office reported on Wednesday, April 1. Investigators said the vehicle, a Fiera PUV (ACK 705) driven by Arcadio Accoy, encountered a brake malfunction and plunged into a ravine at about 4 p.m. on March 31. Passenger Julio Agaton, 65, was brought to the Cagayan Valley Medical Center in Tuguegarao City but was declared dead on arrival due to severe head and body injuries. His body was turned over to the relatives. Initial findings from the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) and Lubuagan police station showed that the vehicle rolled backward before plunging into the ravine. All 17 passengers sustained injuries, including multiple lacerations, body pain, abrasions, and some had head injuries. The passengers included six children — the youngest aged 4 — and 11 adults, with the oldest at 85 years old. The victims were immediately rushed to the Kalinga District Hospital. Attending doctors Dr. Chary Agod, Dr. Claireen Duguiang, and Dr. Christine Igo said most injuries were “non-life-threatening,” although several patients “required further medical attention.” Five patients remain under observation at the district hospital, while ten others were referred to the Kalinga Provincial Hospital for further treatment. Two individuals have since been discharged.