FIVE Filipinos died while two others were injured when their van collided with a truck in New Zealand over the weekend, the Philippine Embassy in Wellington confirmed on Tuesday night.
The embassy said the incident happened last Sunday, June 19, on State Highway 1, Mount Pleasant in Marlborough.
“Seven persons were killed, while two survived, one of them sustaining grave injuries. The two survivors and five fatalities are Filipinos,” the embassy said, adding it has been in constant touch with New Zealand police and other authorities.
“Embassy officials visited the survivors, presently confined at the Wellington Regional Hospital, to offer help and consolation,” the embassy added.
The embassy said it is also coordinating with the DFA main office in Manila to attend to the needs of the victims and their families.
“The devastating news has shaken New Zealand as a nation, especially the local Filipino community. The Embassy reiterates its assurance of its readiness to assist,” the embassy added.
It also appealed for privacy for the survivors and the family of the fatalities who it said are “at present in a most vulnerable predicament.”
