Holiday travel proved fatal to at least 13 people in Central Luzon Monday after a truck fell into a ravine in Aurora province that resulted in the deaths of nine people, while four others were killed in a seven-vehicle pileup along the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway in Pampanga, officials said.

In Aurora, the nine persons killed included three children after the truck they were riding turned turtle before plunging into a 20-meter deep ravine at around 11 a.m. Monday in Barangay Dianawan, Ma. Aurora town. Twenty others were seriously injured in the mishap.

Of the nine fatalities, six have been identified: Delia Macaraeg, Maclin Macaraeg, Jimmy Macaraeg, Dion Macaraeg, Pedro Sabado and Rosalina Barbado, all of Binalonan, Pangasinan.

The victims were first rushed to the Aurora Memorial Hospital for treatment. Two children between 12 and 14 years old who were critically injured were later transferred to the Paulino J. Garcia Memorial Medical Center in Cabanatuan City, according to attending physician Dr. Roberto Correa.

The truck was negotiating a descending blind curve when the vehicle lost its brake, according to passenger Erwin Sabado, one of the survivors.

“Nagulat na lamang po ako nang biglang tumulin ang takbo ng trak, tapos sabi nung driver nawalan na kami ng preno kaya pumikit na lamang ako,” Sabado told the Manila Bulletin.

He said he was still conscious when he felt that the truck struck a huge rock before it turned turtle and plunged into a ravine.

The truck passengers were about to attend a wedding Tuesday in Barangay Obligacion, Baler, Aurora when the incident took place, according to Sr. Supt. Romulo Esteban, provincial police chief.

In Pampanga, police said the seven-vehicle accident along the SCTEX Monday afternoon was reportedly caused by smoke from burning cogon grass on the roadside in Mabalacat town. Four persons were killed while seven others were seriously hurt.

Supt. Gregorio Lim, Mabalacat police chief, identified the fatalities as Zenaida Eustaquio, 63, Sylvia Eustaquio, 62, Cristina Rizelle Geronimo, 37, and Margaret Sylen Geronimo, 6 years old. The four were all related.

Among those injured was Christian Tuazon, 27, of San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija, the driver of a Toyota Grandia, one of the vehicles that figured in the accident. The others were Janice Tabacungan, 29, and Jerryldean Acierto, 20, both passengers of a Toyota Avanza; Melody Geronimo 10; Zoe Nathan Tagabuhin, 5; and Shena Rica Tagabuhin, 32.

Lim said the victims were taken to the Mabalacat District Hospital where the four fatalities were declared dead on arrival by attending physicians.

Initial investigation showed there was almost zero visibility at the portion of the expressway where the accident happened due to thick smoke coming from cogon grass burning on the side of the road.

Lim said three of the fatalities were onboard a Toyota Innova, one of the vehicles involved in the accident.

Teresita Padiernos, a passenger of a Honda Civic also involved in the mishap, said she was lucky to have suffered only light bruises despite the strong impact of the collision.

Padiernos told investigators that there was so much smoke on the road. It was then that they collided with another vehicle in the midst of the smoke.

Benigno Valles, Tollways Management Corporation corporate communications chief, said they are still looking what caused the grass fire. The TMC operates the SCTEX.

Valles said it was possible that a passing motorist threw a lighted cigarette on the side of the toll way, triggering the fire.