7 dead, 9 injured in three-car chain crash in Philippines

Seven people died and nine others were injured in a three-car crash in the northern Philippines, local police said on Thursday.

According to the Pampanga provincial police, the collision happened at around 6 p.m. (local time) on Wednesday on a highway in Pampanga province, northern Manila.

Local police said the jeepney, carrying 22 passengers, lost control and swerved to the opposite lane after being hit by a pickup truck and collided with an oncoming cargo truck.

Seven passengers were killed and the injured were taken to the hospital.

Police said the drivers of the jeepney and the cargo truck were injured. The driver of the pickup truck is now in police custody and waiting to be charged.

The elongated, flatbed passenger jeepneys are the most popular mode of public transport in the Philippines. These iconic vehicles have been plying the Philippine streets for decades.

However, many accidents in the country are blamed on these poorly maintained vehicles that made up of second-hand car parts.